Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Perd Hapley on March 16, 2011, 02:41:05 AM
-
How does Firefly compare to some of the more popular TV/film sci-fi franchises? Is it the best? Second-best? Comfortably in the top ten?
I was just watching Blade Runner, and noticing how Firefly/Serenity had borrowed certain elements from it. I'm not sure which I like better. Without reading the book, there isn't as much of BR to dig into. But if there were more to BR (if it had been adapted for a short-lived TV show of fourteen episodes) I think I might get to liking it more than Firefly.
I guess I'll have to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? now.
-
You're just asking to be put before the mast and then flogged aren't ya ?!?!?!
-
So you're putting Firefly in first place, then? =)
-
That's an interesting question. First off, I wouldn't compare it to any major cinema-released movies...so STAR WARS is right out.
Compared to the TV shows, I'd put it neck-&-neck with BABYLON 5...which is the top of my list. It far surpasses the original STAR TREK series, which is my #2. Everything else falls far behind....esp. the newer STAR TREK series. nu-BATTLESTAR GALACTICA is dead last.
IMHO, of course.....
-
I put B5 a nose ahead of Firefly, but that may be only because of its longer run.
Next, I'd probably put Stargate SG-1 and the spinoff Stargate Atlantis (but not the current Stargate: Universe)
Star Trek DS9 had a few gritty story arcs during its run, but for the most part the story lines in various Star Trek series were sanitized so as to be suitable for 12 year olds. And the political correctness that infected Voyager was most annoying.
Actually, I liked the old Darrin McGavin series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. (If you missed the recent remake, count yourself lucky.)
The X-Files started out OK, but eventually got weird and borderline incoherent.
BSG? I characterize it as unrealized potential. Week after week of overacting on the part of dysfunctional characters got tiresome real fast.
Farscape was just . . . too . . . odd.
-
I also see Firefly and B5 as neck and neck. If, as Hank said, there were more Firefly episodes I'm guessing Firefly would pull out front.
Next for me is Star Trek TOS, mostly because I grew up with it. TNG, while it had some good episodes, was just overall too preachy and social for me. It always bugged me that every time Worf wanted to fire a photon torpedo or something, everyone on the bridge would roll their eyes.
I really liked Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. I found them to be good, fun, escapist Science Fiction. I've sorta been watching Universe, but I find myself fast-forwarding through a good portion of each episode. They just do too many stupid things.
BSG (the new one) had a few good episodes, but there was way too much focus on the psychological and social problems of all the characters to suit my taste.
-
Babylon five... gawd, what tripe. One of the worst shows ever to disgrace the sci-fi genre.
I tried watching one episode of it several times back when it was on-air, and it was just awful. You guys convinced me to give it another try for some reason... and it was STILL awful.
Staying in TV-land... I'd rank my top 5 sci-fi franchises as:
1. Battlestar Galactica (new series)
2. Firefly
3. V (new series)
4. Star Trek (original)
5. Stargate SG-1
The new era of sci-fi shows (not necessarily "sy-fy" shows) are worlds better than their 80's counterparts. Much more complexity in the plots, better special effects, better acting and scripts.
Why is Firefly in position 2, behind BSG?
There were a few episodes that felt like they were done on cardboard sets and don't quite immerse my imagination the way that the others do. BSG doesn't have that problem, for me.
A second season of Firefly would have enjoyed higher prop budgets and a bit more set decoration time to avoid that issue.
-
Babylon five... gawd, what tripe. . . . Staying in TV-land... I'd rank my top 5 sci-fi franchises as: 1. Battlestar Galactica (new series)
Persons who think highly of BSG ought not refer to anything else as "tripe." ;)
A good scene from B5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47DfQcHMYLY
-
Babylon five... gawd, what tripe. One of the worst shows ever to disgrace the sci-fi genre.
I tried watching one episode of it several times back when it was on-air, and it was just awful. You guys convinced me to give it another try for some reason... and it was STILL awful.
Staying in TV-land... I'd rank my top 5 sci-fi franchises as:
1. Battlestar Galactica (new series)
2. Firefly
3. V (new series)
4. Star Trek (original)
5. Stargate SG-1
The new era of sci-fi shows (not necessarily "sy-fy" shows) are worlds better than their 80's counterparts. Much more complexity in the plots, better special effects, better acting and scripts.
Why is Firefly in position 2, behind BSG?
There were a few episodes that felt like they were done on cardboard sets and don't quite immerse my imagination the way that the others do. BSG doesn't have that problem, for me.
A second season of Firefly would have enjoyed higher prop budgets and a bit more set decoration time to avoid that issue.
Wow, Battlestarlet'sbepreachyabouttheIraqwarGalactica is number 1?
And you don't like Babylon 5?
I think you must not like actual science fiction.
I have a hard time rating Firefly. It's one season is in the running for the greatest season of any sci-fi series.
I don't think it's fair to compare one stellar season to an entirety of a series, though. Heck, after one season, Enterprise looked like an interesting series... and that changed quickly. For the worse. MUCH worse.
Stargate SG-1 just for longevity deserves consideration. Its plots were interesting even to the end of the series, even if they had to keep upping the power of the "unstoppable" enemies.
I love ST:TNG, but it was REALLY stretching for plots the last season.
X-files is much the same, but I need to substitute in "last few seasons".
-
A good scene from B5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47DfQcHMYLY
I can't get over the feeling that I'm watching something of BBC-quality. Even that scene.
-
On my Tripe List are
- Caprica [barf]
- BSG both old and new
- V both old and new
Put Firefly and it sequel, Serinity. near or the top of the good series.
Fistful, do read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep%3F)
-
I liked the old Darrin McGavin series Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
ouch you just dated yourself and me i liked that one too
-
well, its no Brisco County Junior
-
Battlestarlet'sbepreachyabouttheIraqwarGalactica
Only the New Caprica story arc fits that description. The rest of the series touched on a variety of topics, including the role of religion in society, maintaining one's humanity in the face of catastrophe, and how large-scale acts of terrorism (9/11 especially) have affected us.
Ron Moore's BSG deserves consideration for the sheer ambition and scope to the story: the destiny of the human race. It was not perfect by any means: some plot lines were left unresolved, certain devices such as Baltar's Cylon detector were simply forgotten when they were no longer germane to the plot, the series was largely humorless, and the final episode was, for many, unsatisfying. That said, the series as a whole stands as one of the best in series television.
Babylon 5 broke new ground by incorporating a series-length story arc. Later series like Moore's BSG, Firefly, and others built on that achievement. IMO, B5 suffered from a small budget and somewhat corny dialogue.
(I never watched Stargate or V, so I have no comment on them).
-
IMO, B5 suffered from a small budget and somewhat corny dialogue.
Also that like Firefly, it was mauled by the powers that be on the networks. Bounced around in timeslots, moved to a couple (three?) different networks, and then they were unsure of getting the last year of the five year arc in, so they had to make a just-in-case "sorta" ending in year four, which left year five a little weak. They still managed to get a nice final episode in. "In the Beginning" was also a great post-series movie.
-
Rev. 1 of my SciFi TV Tripe List - numbered, but not in any particular order:
1. Anything on SyFy channel involving giant CGI monsters - including snakes (lots of giant snake movies there), megasharks, giant piranahs, a sharktopus, etc.
2. Dr. Who (No offense to fans, but I never took to this show. Maybe it was just too British.)
3. Space: 1999
4. UFO (Another British import)
5. BSG (new series)
6. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
7. Andromeda (another show with unrealized potential)
8. Quantum Leap
9. Lost (mega, MEGA tripe!)
10. Sliders
I was going to add Lost in Space, but it WAS meant to be a kid's show, after all.
-
Considering that I don't particularly like SF at all, Firefly ranks pretty dang high just to even get me to watch it and like it. =)
-
Babylon five... gawd, what tripe. One of the worst shows ever to disgrace the sci-fi genre.
Babylon Five was the absolute best Sci-Fi story-arc, the best writing, and had some of the better aliens ever put to screen.
However..
It had the worst cartoony CGI ever. They hit a really bad spot in the CGI capability curve. Way too bright and day glow color schemes.
Interior set design was like a bad combination of Buck Rogers, the original BSG, and Miami Vice.
Costume design wasn't that much better.
Acting was often wooden and/or just plain BAD and never got better. (Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik, and Mira Furlan excepted)
The best Sci-Fi series EVER would have:
Story Arc Of Babylon 5.
Acting and "grittiness" of the new BSG.
Aliens of Farscape.
Politics, Witty Banter, and Dialog of Firefly.
Gunfights of Stargate.
The SFX budget of Paramount/Star Trek franchises.
(oh, and at least some lip-service to Vacuum/Newtonian motion in space/dogfights, and silence in space, like the new BSG and B5 had at times)
Rev. 1 of my SciFi TV Tripe List - numbered, but not in any particular order:
1. Anything on SyFy channel involving giant CGI monsters - including snakes (lots of giant snake movies there), megasharks, giant piranahs, a sharktopus, etc.
2. Dr. Who (No offense to fans, but I never took to this show. Maybe it was just too British.)
3. Space: 1999
4. UFO (Another British import)
5. BSG (new series)
6. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
7. Andromeda (another show with unrealized potential)
8. Quantum Leap
9. Lost (mega, MEGA tripe!)
10. Sliders
I was going to add Lost in Space, but it WAS meant to be a kid's show, after all.
I think the premise of Space:1999 was unmitigated crap. That nuclear waste on the moon could explode with sufficient force (anything THAT hot or good, we'd still be USING IT, even if it didn't defy physics), to propel it out of the Solar system at a high enough velocity that they'd visit a new star system/planet every few weeks, or months (their time) was rediculous, even from needed suspension of disbelief.
However, the actual LOOK of the show, in terms of sets and hardware, props, and the Eagle transporter spacecraft and the model-work was AMAZING.
-
I enjoyed the couple of self-contained B5 TV movies I saw. The few attempts I made to watch the series left me stone-cold. As near as I can tell, in order to really get into it, you need to watch it from the beginning of the series - and I could never catch the beginning.
BSG rocked. Although I'll admit that sometimes the political commentary was... less than subtle (if by subtle you mean 2x4-to-the-head).
I enjoyed TNG, DS9, even Voyager (at least about half the time), despite their typically-Pollyanna views of things.
TOS was a classic, despite its flaws.
Firefly - frakking Fox. Take a fantastic show, jumble it all around, put a multi-month break in after showing the first few eps, and don't even show all the episodes you paid for before pulling it from your lineup?
And you're still showing freaking FAMILY GUY?!? :mad: Hell, Human Target has had a longer run on Fox than Firefly got, and it's a FAR worse show! :facepalm:
-
I liked the old Darrin McGavin series Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
ouch you just dated yourself and me i liked that one too
Liked this. It was a staple my first year in college ...now I have the DVD set.
Rev. 1 of my SciFi TV Tripe List - numbered, but not in any particular order:
1. Anything on SyFy channel involving giant CGI monsters - including snakes (lots of giant snake movies there), megasharks, giant piranahs, a sharktopus, etc.
2. Dr. Who (No offense to fans, but I never took to this show. Maybe it was just too British.)
3. Space: 1999
4. UFO (Another British import)
5. BSG (new series)
6. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
7. Andromeda (another show with unrealized potential)
8. Quantum Leap
9. Lost (mega, MEGA tripe!)
10. Sliders
I was going to add Lost in Space, but it WAS meant to be a kid's show, after all.
UFO was a show I didn't like when it first aired. I've seen it recently and it has some pretty decent and sophisticated storylines in it ....how Stryker and his wife became estranged.... political &/ budget problems...
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a show I enjoyed as a kid. The first year was B&W and that year is pretty decent and some of the earlier color shows were good but it got too whacky when it descended into a "monster-of-the-week" show. According to actor David Hedison, he pleaded with with the producers to get better stories or it would kill the show. They didn't.... and theye killed the show.
I started out watching LOST but after a couple of seasons they ... "lost" me =D . 'Bout the time they discovered the second island, I was wishing I'd spent the time watching reruns of Gilligan's Island and I escaped.
Liked the more recent incarnation of Dr. Who but, I can take it or leave it... meh.
What the ***** is this ...."FIREFLY" thing? ? ? ? ? :angel: [tinfoil] [popcorn]
-
Dr who lost its appeal when Tom Baker, the 4th doctor, was replaced. I've watched an episode of 2 this years and just can't get into it.
Current Sci Fi consists of Warehouse 13 which has gone down hill this past year. Fringe seems to be teetering. Eureka doesn't have it. Sara Conner Chronicles with Summer Glau aka River from Firefly as the Termenator was pretty good but was killed without an ending. Stargate Universe is getting weak.
-
I loved the sarah conner cronicles, very disapointed with the abrupt ending.
Dollhouse (aka whedons return to fox) could have been great. However, between Fox's issues and whedons case of post tramtic series cancellation stress, it failed to live up to potential. I do like how whedon (knowing the end was near) just went ahead and jumped to the conclusion of saving the post apocolyptic world in time for the end of his second season.
in a perfect world, they would habe just let him have firefly. In a halfway decent world, they could have let him have Dollhouse. It may not have been the best, but its better then &$#@& american idol.
-
I would say Firefly, Farscape, and BSG are the best TV sci fi in recent memory. These all had good stories, good acting, good writing, a deeply involving fantasy world, and they were a treat to look at. They were all extremely fun to watch and follow along with.
If I had to pick just one, I'd probably say that Farscape is the single best, but it's pretty close.
I like B5, but I think it's overrated. It had consistently mediocre production quality, acting, and dialog/writing. Still, it was entertaining and kept me watching. Good story.
Ditto for the various Stargate versions, entertaining but not exceptional in any way.
Never had any interest in the recent Star Trek jobs.
-
Dr who lost its appeal when Tom Baker, the 4th doctor, was replaced. I've watched an episode of 2 this years and just can't get into it.
Current Sci Fi consists of Warehouse 13 which has gone down hill this past year. Fringe seems to be teetering. Eureka doesn't have it. Sara Conner Chronicles with Summer Glau aka River from Firefly as the Termenator was pretty good but was killed without an ending. Stargate Universe is getting weak.
Stargate Universe isn't just weak, it's been canceled. Which is a shame. They'll air the remaining new they've produced, but that's the last of it.
I liked the Sara Conner Chronicles, and wished it had continues. I'd take new Terminator mvies, too, something that continues to play out in that particular fantasy world. The Christian Bale Terminator movie was entertaining, but it didn't do much to advance the overall Terminator story line.
-
I could never get into Dr. Who very much.
The entire premise was designed around the fact of BBC/socialist television, and cobbling together a story/premise based on whatever leftover props were laying around.
And that's why the TARDIS is a police phone box. Not that American Sci Fi didn't have that too in some parts. The entire ST TOS invention of the transporter was due to the fact Desilu/NBC would not give Roddenberry enough money for Christmas lights and plywood to make a shuttle-craft until the next season. So they had to settle for an optical composite, and a fish tank full of water and craft-store glitter lit by a klieg light.
But hell, at least they still had the cash for the Enterprise sets and models. They didn't say, "Here, due to the budget you've got this old tractor, go make that be your space ship... or time machine..." :laugh:
Don't get me wrong, it's damn creative given what Dr. Who had to work with. It's just the stink of stingy budgets, committees, and socialisim is just so dang strong in it's roots. You can just hear "Here's 500 Pounds, two cameras, and you can have anything in the old prop warehouse you want. Go make a 'space show' for the kids..."
Even if it's NOT the actual origin story of Dr. Who (To be fair, I read it once, but I haven't looked lately), it's the feeling I get, even when the show started to actually get a budget.
-
Science Fiction
1. RAH/Firefly
2. A.C. Clarke
3. Gene Rodenberry/Harlan Ellison
4. Spielberg/Lucas stuff
Firefly put into pictures/visuals a lot of RAH's sentiments. Ones I believe whole-heartedly in. And Whedon did borrow. A lot. But he put it all into such a well-conceived package, as to deserve quite a bit of respect.
-
How does Firefly compare to some of the more popular TV/film sci-fi franchises? Is it the best? Second-best? Comfortably in the top ten?
I was just watching Blade Runner, and noticing how Firefly/Serenity had borrowed certain elements from it. I'm not sure which I like better. Without reading the book, there isn't as much of BR to dig into. But if there were more to BR (if it had been adapted for a short-lived TV show of fourteen episodes) I think I might get to liking it more than Firefly.
I guess I'll have to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? now.
You have to judge a serial (teevee series) differently from a one-off (film). The serial can take time & space liberties that a film can not. A film has to be good in the way a short story is good, especially in that it has to grab you form minute one and drag you through a sprint to the end. A serial can take its time and be coy, as it is running a marathon.
That said, Firefly's one season is likely the best science fiction made for TV. I, too, am a fan of Babylon 5, but it wasn't as high quality as Firefly's one season.
BSGII had a good 1.5-2.5 seasons, then went downhill and crashed. I rate it below both Firefly and B5.
As for Blade Runner, it is likely one of the top sci-fi movies of all time. It holds up very well over time. I can hardly believe it was made in <quick search> 1982!
-
I havn't watched to many scfi tv shows.
But as far as movies go:
Phillip k. Dick has never had a truely horrid film adaptation.
Screamers, A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner and Minority Report are all good. Total Recall is good, if you can get past the Arnie factor. I haven't seen Imposter yet, though. (i think i'm missing one)
If you have not seen A Scanner Darkly, go now, and get it.
Gibsons one cyber punk adaptation, Johny Menomic is really good.
One weird scfi movie that I really love that kinda dropped from radar is Strange Days. Its very influanced by Gibsons theme of 'cyber punk'. The Matrix also borrows heavily from Gibson.
The two traditional scfi movie sagas, Dune and Star Wars, I lump together as being Hurbert adaptations. (both Dune movies are good in there own ways, I say skip the first two 'episodes' of sttar wars, meh on the third and your not a real american if you have failed to see 4-6)
The last real original, which was supposed to be a saga space odyssy was Cronicles of Riddick, which I was disapointed in its failure to be completed. Pitch Black (which was the introduction of Riddick was then billed as the prequel) is an exellent stand alone.
-
BSG? I characterize it as unrealized potential. Week after week of overacting on the part of dysfunctional characters got tiresome real fast
The new Battle Star Galactica...great combat scenes. The only trouble was the combat scenes were far too few and too long in between. The rest of it was soap opera filler. I HATE it for that reason. Then they started doing the f***ing flashbacks (which are fine for very occasional usage) wayyyyyyy too much, just like "Lost" did. I hate shows that do that. It got to the point where I'd watch an episode and go "Huh?" at the end, scratching my head and not be able to make sense of it. The actors and actresses were pretty good, I thought, it was just the method and storyline that got stupid.
Firefly had a great storyline, a plot that held your attention, the plot worked well (as in there was a great overall story, but you could also watch individual episodes, in a random order, and not feel lost). The effects were great, very seldom did you get the "extremely obvious CG" feeling, it was very gritty and real. The characters were not worn out sterotypes, each was interesting and it felt like you actually got to know a human being. The actors and actresses were great. Everything just came together so well.
I don't hold a fanatical worship of Firefly, but I do hold great respect for it and consider it one of the best shows put on television, and it didn't make a bad movie at all, either.
-
You have to judge a serial (teevee series) differently from a one-off (film). The serial can take time & space liberties that a film can not. A film has to be good in the way a short story is good, especially in that it has to grab you form minute one and drag you through a sprint to the end. A serial can take its time and be coy, as it is running a marathon.
Right. That's why I said "if there were more to Blade Runner..."
-
I don't hold a fanatical worship of Firefly,
HERETIC !!!! SHUN THE UNBELIEVER !!!!!!
-
You know, I forgot about STARGATE-SG1/ATLANTIS.....put them on my list b/t FIREFLY & STAR TREK TOS.
And add DOCTOR WHO right after ST-TOS....esp. the Eccleston & Tom Baker Docs....they always seemed a little psycho underneath the charm..... ;)
-
You know, I forgot about STARGATE-SG1/ATLANTIS.....put them on my list b/t FIREFLY & STAR TREK TOS.
And add DOCTOR WHO right after ST-TOS....esp. the Eccleston & Tom Baker Docs....they always seemed a little psycho underneath the charm..... ;)
Yes. I DID like that part about those Doctors. They had that kind of Gene Wilder as Willy-Wonka, or Donald Sutherland in M*A*S*H* sort of psycho, fun loving and friendly... but psycho grin.
-
I am amazed Farscape only got mentioned twice in this thread. I don't think I have ever seen a better looking series, and the writing was pretty good, too. Also, am surprised Cleopatra 2525 didn't make the tripe list. :)
I totally missed Firefly on the initial run. Mostly this was due to the Whedon fandom, which can be as annoying as Mac users. Also, I never got into Buffy, so "made by Whedon" wasn't that big an attraction for me. I watched it last year when a co-worker gave me a disk set. I like it well enough, but it did have some flaws. I think if it continued there would have been some issues. They would run out of enemies to fight and places to go pretty quickly, given that this is just one star system with no wormholes or other means of interstellar travel and no mention of humans being established anywhere besides Earth-that-was, which is trashed. Also, I think the cowboy bit got a little overplayed. Still, what is there is definitely worth watching.
-
Yes. I DID like that part about those Doctors. They had that kind of Gene Wilder as Willy-Wonka, or Donald Sutherland in M*A*S*H* sort of psycho, fun loving and friendly... but psycho grin.
Eccleston didn't strike me as all that fun. He was a pretty seriously dark Doctor. He was the only Doctor in the new series to actually try to shoot somebody. I think the premise is that Rose brought him back from the edge after that whole destruction of half the civilizations in the universe thing. Tennant was a good bit smoother, but it was just hidden better.
Now, Smith is a very Tom Baker kind of Doctor.
-
. . . Also, am surprised Cleopatra 2525 didn't make the tripe list. :)
Didn't remember that show until you mentioned it . . . as for not making the "tripe" list, maybe it's just the eye-candy factor at work? :laugh:
Surprised that people laud BSG for it's acting . . . aside from Olmos as Adama, I thought the actors portraying rest of the characters - Tigh, the President, Baltar, Starbuck (especially Starbuck!), etc., were pretty bad.
-
I am amazed Farscape only got mentioned twice in this thread. I don't think I have ever seen a better looking series, and the writing was pretty good, too. Also, am surprised Cleopatra 2525 didn't make the tripe list. :)
I totally missed Firefly on the initial run. Mostly this was due to the Whedon fandom, which can be as annoying as Mac users. Also, I never got into Buffy, so "made by Whedon" wasn't that big an attraction for me. I watched it last year when a co-worker gave me a disk set. I like it well enough, but it did have some flaws. I think if it continued there would have been some issues. They would run out of enemies to fight and places to go pretty quickly, given that this is just one star system with no wormholes or other means of interstellar travel and no mention of humans being established anywhere besides Earth-that-was, which is trashed. Also, I think the cowboy bit got a little overplayed. Still, what is there is definitely worth watching.
Not that it's exactly likely, but the implication was that it was a system of multiple stars who's planets were all reachable with regular relativistic travel within a timeframe of a few weeks.
Dunno if it was ret-conned or what, but there's maps that explained that the system the refugees from Earth settled was a small star cluster of five stars, with a few more protostars that had a narrow life-zone if the planet orbited close enough. There were dozens of habitable, or terraformed bodies in the system. Perhaps as many as 100+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Firefly_planets_and_moons
-
I think the cowboy bit got a little overplayed.
But I loved Mal chasing down the hovercraft on horseback =D
Nandi died =( Melinda Clarke should have become a regular.
-
Yes. I DID like that part about those Doctors. They had that kind of Gene Wilder as Willy-Wonka, or Donald Sutherland in M*A*S*H* sort of psycho, fun loving and friendly... but psycho grin.
Exactly why I'll never bother with Doctor Who. I mean, how creepy-nasty are those two?
-
Now, Smith is a very Tom Baker kind of Doctor.
Not to me....he's more of a Sylvester McCoy-type.....
Nandi died =( Melinda Clarke should have become a regular.
I'd have rather her been a regular on CSI......if you watched, you'll know why.... ;)
BTW, are we including Manga in this?.....if we are, then I have to add Cowboy Bebop to my list.....
-
Exactly why I'll never bother with Doctor Who. I mean, how creepy-nasty are those two?
Hmm... I always took that "look" as "He's going to show you something REALLY NEAT (possibly involving pyrotechnics) that your mom won't approve of."
-
I'm suprised that it could be thought that Firefly could run out of badguys.
There's always another job, sketchy contact and friends and foes to be found if your dragging through the shady side of an culture.
Andthen the big intreagues... A whole season arc could have been just figuring out who the heck was Book.
They had to speed up timing in the movie, but Rivers devolpment could have taken several arcs and gone several diffrent directions.
Actually River could have several arcs on who did this to her and who's hunting her and Simon.
The zoe wash relationship could have gone farther.
And the biggy, what is the bluesun corp and who is running the alliance?
And seeker, I didn't know you had a thing for Lady Heather.... :lol:
-
I totally missed Firefly on the initial run. Mostly this was due to the Whedon fandom, which can be as annoying as Mac users. Also, I never got into Buffy, so "made by Whedon" wasn't that big an attraction for me.
Kinda the same here.
Cleopatra 2525
Well, if you are THAT much into Gina Torres, that you absolutely have to watch that, we don't want to know about it.
-
And seeker, I didn't know you had a thing for Lady Heather.... :lol:
Grissom and I have well-developed tastes.... ;)
-
I'm suprised that it could be thought that Firefly could run out of badguys.
There's always another job, sketchy contact and friends and foes to be found if your dragging through the shady side of an culture.
Yeah, they hadn't even finished with Nischka, or whatever his name was. The guy with the space station and the torture equipment.
And the biggy, what is the bluesun corp and who is running the alliance?
Why all the talk about Blue Sun, anyway? All I recall is seeing their logo on a shipping container in one episode. From all the talk, I expected Blue Sun to be dealt with in the movie, but no dice. From what I can tell, they're just a company that sells Fruity-Oaty bars or something, so why all the fuss?
Hmm... I always took that "look" as "He's going to show you something REALLY NEAT (possibly involving pyrotechnics) that your mom won't approve of."
Gene Wilder just looks like a creepy gay guy, and I still haven't forgiven Sutherland for making me look at his naked behind in Animal House, I think it was. The horror. Also, Southerland's presence is almost a guarantee of a bad movie.
-
From what I can tell, they're just a company that sells Fruity-Oaty bars or something, so why all the fuss?
Fruity-Oaty bars and interplanetary space drives.
-
For I am the ultimate Firefly nerd and watched all episodes and the movie with commentary, all the special features and the easter egg...
Fistful, whedon and his minions never had time to really get into Blue Sun. They had the initial setup for it, with the logos (jayne has a blue sun tshirt btw) but the didn't have the time to explore it much.
The men with blue hands are from Blue Sun.
The guess was that Blue Sun is the power behind the Alliance, and that River was actually one of their experiments. Basically, I figure, it would have involved Mal and company being in the middle of the fight including factions of Blue Sun vs. Alliance vs. Browncoats in a silent war, and everyone wants River.
-
(jayne has a blue sun tshirt btw)
Had one, until River sliced it (and him) with a knife. I wonder if he ever got the replacement he was owed.
-
I'd have rather her been a regular on CSI......if you watched, you'll know why....
LV...? How come I missed those episodes? =(
(I only watch TV when I am working away from home)
-
LV...? How come I missed those episodes? =(
(I only watch TV when I am working away from home)
See:
Season 2, episode 208, Slaves of Las Vegas
Season 3, episode 315, Lady Heather Box
Season 6, episode 615, Pirates of the Third Reich (the freaky one)
-
Space: Above and Beyond
Good premise, effects, some eye candy but never really fun to watch IMO. All the stories were either depressing, ended in a down note or both.
-
Space: Above and Beyond
Good premise, effects, some eye candy but never really fun to watch IMO. All the stories were either depressing, ended in a down note or both.
I loved it anyway.
For I am the ultimate Firefly nerd and watched all episodes and the movie with commentary, all the special features and the easter egg...
Yeah, me too. Guess I don't remember that part. I'm not sure that would be such a great storyline, seeing as how Big Scary Corporation has been done to death.
-
I wouldn't call out dark mood as a flaw of Space:AaA, though it had many, as noted. The story arc was an existential war after mass devastation similar to BSG. Hard to find a lot of cheer in that. If anything, its quality was hampered by the push for TV-friendly standalone plotting, and being too ambitious for its budget.
-
See:
Season 2, episode 208, Slaves of Las Vegas
Season 3, episode 315, Lady Heather Box
Season 6, episode 615, Pirates of the Third Reich (the freaky one)
Maybe I'll catch them as reruns when I staying out in CA. Funny, I guess they filmed most of those a couple miles from where I'm working out there.
-
Space: Above and Beyond
Good premise, effects, some eye candy but never really fun to watch IMO. All the stories were either depressing, ended in a down note or both.
I forgot all about Space Above and Beyond. Spotty episode to episode quality, but I liked it overall. Another series that could have gone on to greatness had the network let it live. Available on Netflix.
-
I forgot all about Space Above and Beyond. Spotty episode to episode quality, but I liked it overall. Another series that could have gone on to greatness had the network let it live. Available on Netflix.
It had R. Lee Ermey, so it wasn't all bad.
-
Surprised that people laud BSG for it's acting . . . aside from Olmos as Adama, I thought the actors portraying rest of the characters - Tigh, the President, Baltar, Starbuck (especially Starbuck!), etc., were pretty bad.
Tigh- the guy was protrayed pretty well as an unstable, formerly great, drunk, I thought.
Baltar- creepy strange scuzzy dude vibe was pulled off real well. I was only screaming at the TV "Why are you fools trusting him?" Besides us knowing he was bad, you could simply tell he was a psycho.
Prez- I thought she did all right. Wasn't iron handed enough, too soft, as expected of a peace loving civilian who didn't quite realize what was going on at first.
Starbuck...eh, I agree. Not very spectacular.
Apollo- portrayed the "fighter pilot" swagger/attitude pretty well.
-
I almost forgot the greatest sci-fi TV show of all....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bnevbnyRd0&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bnevbnyRd0&feature=related)
....but then, I'm a little biased.... =D
-
I almost forgot the greatest sci-fi TV show of all....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bnevbnyRd0&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bnevbnyRd0&feature=related)
....but then, I'm a little biased.... =D
1. That was horrifying.
2. Why are you biased? You're a mentally-challenged psychopath with a huge crush on Jason?
-
2. Why are you biased? You're a mentally-challenged psychopath with a huge crush on Jason?
No, his name is Jason, if your were on FB you'd know that. :P
-
BTW, are we including Manga in this?.....if we are, then I have to add Cowboy Bebop to my list.....
If we're including cartoons, then did anyone else catch Roughnecks which was an animated version of Starship Troopers? I think it ran for a couple of seasons. (Only caught a few episodes myself - it was almost good.) Also remember a Japanese series - Star Blazers - in which they found the hulk of the WWII battleship Yamato, rebuilt it with ray guns and wings, and made it into a space ship to take on all manner of interstellar bad guys. (Best viewed when partaking of an adult BEvERage.)
-
If we're including cartoons, then did anyone else catch Roughnecks which was an animated version of Starship Troopers? I think it ran for a couple of seasons. (Only caught a few episodes myself - it was almost good.) Also remember a Japanese series - Star Blazers - in which they found the hulk of the WWII battleship Yamato, rebuilt it with ray guns and wings, and made it into a space ship to take on all manner of interstellar bad guys. (Best viewed when partaking of an adult BEvERage.)
Roughnecks was better than the execrable movies, since it did have power-armor. However they still fought nothing like they did in the book.
Space Battleship Yamato (re-worked as Star Blazers for the U.S. dubbed version) just got the live-action movie treatment in Japan last year. The silly premise and the weirder tropes that infect anime inside, they stayed pretty true to the story. Even the uniforms are correct.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXueApDZyhc&feature=watch_response
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-284O5nypgY&feature=related
-
Space Battleship Yamato (re-worked as Star Blazers for the U.S. dubbed version) just got the live-action movie treatment in Japan last year. The silly premise and the weirder tropes that infect anime inside, they stayed pretty true to the story. Even the uniforms are correct.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXueApDZyhc&feature=watch_response
I wanna see THAT!!!..... :O
1. That was horrifying.
2. Why are you biased? You're a mentally-challenged psychopath with a huge crush on Jason?
Facebook much, Monkey Boy?..... :P
=D
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-284O5nypgY&feature=related
Back when I was an engineer at channel 12 in Portland many eons ago, work in Master Control came to a complete standstill whenever Wilma was on. And her show wasn't broadcast on our station.
She was the only reason we watched that show, whatever it was.
-
Facebook much, Monkey Boy?..... :P
=D
Use of a swhat?
-
1. That was horrifying.
2. Why are you biased? You're a mentally-challenged psychopath with a huge crush on Jason?
My soul just died a little...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-284O5nypgY&feature=related
"party pooper!" :lol:
-
She totally destroyed me as a nine year old, it was the universe opening up and explaining itself to me, incredible
Ayap. She was the ONLY reason me and my friends watched that show. Our mom's thought it was because is was a Sci-Fi show.....ummmm not so much.....
-
My soul just died a little...
Was it me, or Jason?
-
Was it me, or Jason?
Its a facebook thing... You wouldn't understand. =D
-
Its a facebook thing... You wouldn't understand. =D
No, you wouldn't..... ;)
-
Anybody remember this one? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOLGrXOtuwQ)
This one was actually pretty good at times. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CtjhWhw2I8)
-
This one was actually pretty good at times. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CtjhWhw2I8)
Yes it was. What was even better was the related link at the youtube site. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv_ep8fowP4&feature=related
-
This one was actually pretty good at times. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CtjhWhw2I8)
I believe that whole series is available at Hulu.com.
-
Another classic from the 90's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8DqLwdkgdk
-
Anybody remember this one? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOLGrXOtuwQ)
This one was actually pretty good at times. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CtjhWhw2I8)
THE INVADERS. Yes, I recall this from when I was a kid, and I enjoyed it. Both seasons are out on DVD now and I have them. =D
THE OUTER LIMITS. I also recall this from my youth and have the DVD sets. I still recall watching the episode with Martin Landau as the radiation deformed man from the future who went back in time, and the one with the Zanti "misfits" -- antlike beings who turned out to be badguys -- and not to be forgotten, the one with Adam West who played an astronaut on mars whose crew was being scarfed up by "sandsharks" which lived under a quicksand like surface. That was a scary show for a kid back then.
-
Yes it was. What was even better was the related link at the youtube site. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv_ep8fowP4&feature=related
I just climbed out of my bunk to say I saw that one, but was not sure how YT decided it was related. I agree with your assessment of the quality of said related video.
-
THE OUTER LIMITS.
The Zanti Misfits & Cold hands, Warm Heart (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlS5VkNIJOc) creeped me right the frak out when I first saw them on reruns years ago. I had nightmares of the little misfits crawling out from under my bed a few times.
Firefly & Serenity rank highly as televised Science Fiction in my book. In no small part due to the sets and props having that "lived in" look so oftem missing from other SF. The characters were not mostly perfect with occasional flaws like Star Trek so often had, but felt like real people who made real (and sometimes bad) choices and had to live with them.
I think there where two tracks in TV SF starting in the late 70s. The pretty, expensive effects, generally flat stories and characters characterized by BG:TOS > Space:1999 > ST:TNG > Space:A&B; and the grungy, low budget (at least in visual feel), stories and characters with depth as seen in Dr Who:Peter Davidson years > Babylon 5 > Crusade > Farscape > Firefly.
There were cross overs in the tracks of course, Moment of Beauty/Uglyness if you will.
A good scene from B5:...
Flounder looks SICK, having lost the weight the D-Day put on by then. =D
Another good bit from B5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8oF0i5nvPI
Farscape too weird? What is weird about Farscape? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQo9_VI6TnA&feature=related ???
-
Another classic B5 scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFvkgfBXHPA
Funny how nobody has mentioned Land of the Giants or Time Tunnel yet . . . or, for that matter, It's About Time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1G-TsdNWGg (Think of a sci-fi version of Gilligan's Island . . .)
-
How to confuse a Vorlon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI7egR2Q2Fw&NR=1
-
a lot to read in this thread so I'll just have to put it off till a later date so I don't get swayed.
Firefly is the set, followed by Original Star Trek.
I'm entertained by two current Sci Fi type shows right now-The Event and Fringe, but Firefly much better.
I like the first season of V but right now they are not challenging B.O to much, they made a half hearted stab at global warming but its not all that good.
Recently reread DADOE Sheep, nothing like bladerunner. I like most all PKD though. Blade Runner? I prefer the original release, not directors cut.
-
Recently reread DADOE Sheep, nothing like bladerunner. I like most all PKD though. Blade Runner? I prefer the original release, not directors cut.
I prefer DADOE Sheep.