Joss Whedon's Serenity
12-15-04, 07:00 AM
#101
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I can NOT wait to see this movie. For Serenity to get so many good reviews when it isn't even done in post production is just awesome. Like one of the people quoted above, I hope they don't end up watering it down because of some of the test screeners. I love the rawness of Firefly and I want to see that on the big screen. Joss is definatly getting my $8 at least once on opening day.
12-16-04, 12:39 AM
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From Dark Worlds:
SCOOP: SERENITY advance screening report
An invited test audience watched an advance screening version of SERENITY, the film version of a short-lived and much-lamented science-fiction series, on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Based on the cheers and applause that began as soon as the lights dimmed, the theater was primarily filled with fans of the series who wanted to be the very first to see their beloved show make the leap to the big screen.
You see, once upon a time, there was a television show called FIREFLY. It followed the adventures of Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), a veteran of a war that his side lost, as well as his crew and guests: "companion" Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin), the doctor Simon Tam and his mentally unbalanced sister River (Sean Maher and Summer Glau), engineer Kaylee Frye (Jewel Staite), first officer and fellow veteran Zoë Warren (Gina Torres) and her husband Wash Warren (Alan Tudyk), who piloted the ship, muscle Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin), and the religious man of the bunch, Shepherd Book (Ron Glass).
Mistreated by its network, which aired episodes out of order and put the series in the Friday Night Time Slot of doom, it was unceremoniously dumped in December of 2002 before all fourteen episodes had a chance to air. Thanks to the magic of DVD, fans were finally able to see the entire series. Word spread as new fans discovered the show, and sales exceeded expectations. Thanks to the popularity of the DVD set, the quality of the base material, and the sheer determination of series creator Joss Whedon (of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and ANGEL fame), FIREFLY has made the leap to movie-dom. The result is SERENITY, a film slated for release in September of 2005 (it was original set for April, but the studio decided that it would face less competition in the fall), written and directed by Whedon.
The movie is still very much a work in progress; most of the effects are either half-finished or missing, the music was a temporary fill-in, and the titles have not yet been completed. In addition, there were some issues with film quality in sections, and some of the editing remained choppy. There were also a few elements in the set-up that did not seem to completely gel with the information gleaned from the series, and we didn't learn much about what happened in the six months between the series and the film. I wished for more screen time by a few of the characters, but with a primary cast of nine, there is only so much screen time available.
Even with issues such as these, SERENITY is already a very good film. The fact that it was as strong as it is now, so far from the actual release date, is exciting. The story overall is strong and the characters remain as engaging as they were on the series (some more so than expected). Although one of the people running the screening referred to the film as "special-effects driven," it would be far more accurate to call it story-driven. Besides, special-effects driven movies can be seen on any given weekend. It's far more satisfying to focus on plot and interesting characters. Whedon does. That said, I do look forward to the visuals of the finished product, as they should add to the effectiveness of the film.
SERENITY ties more loose ends than I had anticipated (although not all of them that remained from the series), and the film had many surprises and shocks in store. For those of you familiar with Whedon's work, it (unsurprisingly) has his stamp and style all over it. Overall, I laughed, I cried, it was better than CATS. No, really. It was.
If you're looking for a full synopsis and spoilers galore for this new film, you wont find them here. You'll want to head to the theater for SERENITY and bring a few friends along with you. If you're not familiar with FIREFLY, then buy yourself the four-disc DVD set as a present to yourself this holiday season. This show is worth having in your library even without this feature film to cap it off. Every installment is a strong offering, which is quite an accomplishment for any fledgling series. Don't be dissuaded by its Sci-Fi/Western/Action hybrid nature, because it just plain works. These characters are worth getting to know.
Had the Fox Network shown the pilot first and given sufficient much-deserved support to FIREFLY, we might still be watching this gem every week. As much as I wish this were so, the result of this cancellation tragedy looks to be an amazing and intense film that makes what happened almost worthwhile. SERENITY really will be that good when it hits theaters in September.
Reported for DARKWORLDS.COM by Amy Berner. Contact Amy at [email protected].
Source
An invited test audience watched an advance screening version of SERENITY, the film version of a short-lived and much-lamented science-fiction series, on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Based on the cheers and applause that began as soon as the lights dimmed, the theater was primarily filled with fans of the series who wanted to be the very first to see their beloved show make the leap to the big screen.
You see, once upon a time, there was a television show called FIREFLY. It followed the adventures of Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), a veteran of a war that his side lost, as well as his crew and guests: "companion" Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin), the doctor Simon Tam and his mentally unbalanced sister River (Sean Maher and Summer Glau), engineer Kaylee Frye (Jewel Staite), first officer and fellow veteran Zoë Warren (Gina Torres) and her husband Wash Warren (Alan Tudyk), who piloted the ship, muscle Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin), and the religious man of the bunch, Shepherd Book (Ron Glass).
Mistreated by its network, which aired episodes out of order and put the series in the Friday Night Time Slot of doom, it was unceremoniously dumped in December of 2002 before all fourteen episodes had a chance to air. Thanks to the magic of DVD, fans were finally able to see the entire series. Word spread as new fans discovered the show, and sales exceeded expectations. Thanks to the popularity of the DVD set, the quality of the base material, and the sheer determination of series creator Joss Whedon (of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and ANGEL fame), FIREFLY has made the leap to movie-dom. The result is SERENITY, a film slated for release in September of 2005 (it was original set for April, but the studio decided that it would face less competition in the fall), written and directed by Whedon.
The movie is still very much a work in progress; most of the effects are either half-finished or missing, the music was a temporary fill-in, and the titles have not yet been completed. In addition, there were some issues with film quality in sections, and some of the editing remained choppy. There were also a few elements in the set-up that did not seem to completely gel with the information gleaned from the series, and we didn't learn much about what happened in the six months between the series and the film. I wished for more screen time by a few of the characters, but with a primary cast of nine, there is only so much screen time available.
Even with issues such as these, SERENITY is already a very good film. The fact that it was as strong as it is now, so far from the actual release date, is exciting. The story overall is strong and the characters remain as engaging as they were on the series (some more so than expected). Although one of the people running the screening referred to the film as "special-effects driven," it would be far more accurate to call it story-driven. Besides, special-effects driven movies can be seen on any given weekend. It's far more satisfying to focus on plot and interesting characters. Whedon does. That said, I do look forward to the visuals of the finished product, as they should add to the effectiveness of the film.
SERENITY ties more loose ends than I had anticipated (although not all of them that remained from the series), and the film had many surprises and shocks in store. For those of you familiar with Whedon's work, it (unsurprisingly) has his stamp and style all over it. Overall, I laughed, I cried, it was better than CATS. No, really. It was.
If you're looking for a full synopsis and spoilers galore for this new film, you wont find them here. You'll want to head to the theater for SERENITY and bring a few friends along with you. If you're not familiar with FIREFLY, then buy yourself the four-disc DVD set as a present to yourself this holiday season. This show is worth having in your library even without this feature film to cap it off. Every installment is a strong offering, which is quite an accomplishment for any fledgling series. Don't be dissuaded by its Sci-Fi/Western/Action hybrid nature, because it just plain works. These characters are worth getting to know.
Had the Fox Network shown the pilot first and given sufficient much-deserved support to FIREFLY, we might still be watching this gem every week. As much as I wish this were so, the result of this cancellation tragedy looks to be an amazing and intense film that makes what happened almost worthwhile. SERENITY really will be that good when it hits theaters in September.
Reported for DARKWORLDS.COM by Amy Berner. Contact Amy at [email protected].
Source
Last edited by Barry Woodward; 12-16-04 at 12:46 AM.
12-17-04, 12:43 AM
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From Ain't It Cool News:
Another SERENITY Review -- From A FIREFLY Virgin!!
I am – Hercules!!
Is “Serenity” playing even better to non-fans than to the “Firefly” faithful? Maybe!
I was talking to my Jedi Council pal “Frosty Skywalker” – as big a “Star Wars” booster as you’ll hope to find and a man who doesn’t know from “Firefly” – and he loooooved “Serenity,” and is probably even now standing in line to buy the DVD set.
And, yes, I can see how the film would play better to someone who didn’t know how great “Firefly” was.
When we posted early Wednesday, we had two raves – one from a “Firefly” fan, the other not. Here’s the word from another nonfan who caught the Tuesday screening in Chatsworth.
“MagicDGK” is not on the fence:
Gotta say, I too loved Mal, loved River, loved the bad guy in this. All three get great lines and HUGE laughs this time around, and they’re by no means the only ones. Miss this movie at your peril.
Source
I am – Hercules!!
Is “Serenity” playing even better to non-fans than to the “Firefly” faithful? Maybe!
I was talking to my Jedi Council pal “Frosty Skywalker” – as big a “Star Wars” booster as you’ll hope to find and a man who doesn’t know from “Firefly” – and he loooooved “Serenity,” and is probably even now standing in line to buy the DVD set.
And, yes, I can see how the film would play better to someone who didn’t know how great “Firefly” was.
When we posted early Wednesday, we had two raves – one from a “Firefly” fan, the other not. Here’s the word from another nonfan who caught the Tuesday screening in Chatsworth.
“MagicDGK” is not on the fence:
I read the reviews of Serenity that you posted, and even though one of them spoke of how non-viewers of Firefly would react, he was a viewer himself. So I thought you might be interested in my point of view.
When I saw Serenity at Winnetka on Tuesday I had not seen Firefly, Buffy, or Angel (in other words knew nothing of Whedon). So here it goes (keep in mind I originally wrote this review for a message board, so it has references to that site in it):
Until last night I most definitely could not have called myself a Firefly fan, a browncoat, or a flan (see how fast I’ve caught on? hehe); mainly because I had never seen the show (a very good reason I might add). I had many reasons for not watching the show at the time of airing, the main reason being that the commercials plain out sucked. They made it look like a stupid Star Trek knock-off and completely misrepresented it (as I’ve now learned). Another reason for not watching it was that I simply have had no interest in television in a long time. The only thing that has kept my attention for the past few years has been The West Wing, and even that has gone to garbage now that Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme have left. It was during these years of CTV (Crap Television) that I started to put my Dvd player to great use to start exploring the world of movies. I have since become so obsessed with movies that I have chosen to make them my life and become a filmmaker. Granted, I’m still in high school; but I’ve got my goals pretty squared out.
So - and this is where I will make my point - although I did not walk into the movie theatre last night as a Firefly fan, I most definitely walked in as a MOVIE fan (especially of good ones).
As a movie fan I had read much hype online about Serenity from Aintitcool.com and Comingsoon.net and other movie news sites; so I was definitely excited to see what all the hype was about. While waiting in line I didn’t know what to think. Witnessing such a fan following boosted confidence in my upcoming movie experience, but earlier during the drive to the theater DamnitGirlie had said that Firefly was better than Star Wars, and that is one heck of a high standard for me (I believe in the force - if that is any indication of my dedication to Star Wars).
So to be honest; I was skeptical. I would not believe for one second that a movie could actually be on par with, or be better than, Star Wars. I was WRONG.
I can’t and won’t say that Serenity was better than Star Wars, because they are way too different for me to compare them. But let me put it this way: All my life I’ve envied most adults for having had the experience of watching Star Wars in the theater before it was big. To have had that moment of “Oh my god, this is f**king amazing. Oh my god, this is gonna be huge!” Well, frankly I was jealous - until now. I now feel like I’ve had that kind of experience, and I’ll be able to tell my children that I was at the first public screening (after which they will shoot me confused expressions and whisper “daddy’s a geek” to each other).
Now what did I find so amazing about it? I think the winning factor for me was that it was character driven. Instead of an action packed movie with people, it was a movie about people and how the action affects them. I loved all the characters, and the actors who played the - wait a minute - forget that, I didn’t even remember they were actors till it was brought to my attention afterwards. These characters were so real to me that I genuinely feared for their lives when danger came about. When the reavers came a’knockin I squeezed my girlfriend’s arm tightly.
My one complaint about the characters would be that Mal was too much like Han Solo. Although I think it could be argued that he’s more of an affectionate nod to Han Solo than stealing the whole idea of the character. But for god sakes he had the same gun holster, and he even “pulled a greedo” (for anyone familiar with the Special Edition crap in Star Wars). That’s not to say that I didn’t like the character, I LOVED Mal.
I can’t say much about River without spoiling so I won’t. I will simply say that she is by far my favorite character from the film, and when you see the “money shot” near the end of the film (you’ll know what I mean when you see it) you’ll piss your pants (or something of the equivalent in shaking or gasping motions). I think the true proof that this movie’s characters can hold their own is that I loved this movie with barely any special effects done.
Oh yes, which brings me to a side note. Before the movies started, a focus group woman made a disclaimer speech to the audience about how many effects weren’t done, etc. She actually used the words “When the movie actually comes out, it will be effects driven.” She couldn’t have been more wrong. I don’t think she even knew what “effects driven” means. “Effects driven” would be something like The Matrix Revolutions where there is a 45 minute battle between all CG machines. Serenity is very much the opposite. Yes there are fights. Yes there is a space battle (and quite a fantastic one at that - even though we had to use our imagination for most of it because of unfinished effects). But the effects and action don’t drive the movie; the characters do. I think that is Serenity’s greatest triumph.
Back on the subject of characters; let’s talk about the villain. I absolutely LOVED the villain. I won’t talk much about him because, like most things involving this movie, if I talk about it too much I will spoil. The one aspect that made me absolutely love this villain is that there was an actual explanation for why he did evil things. Most villains are just plain evil and do things for the heck of it. This villain had real motivation and I loved every word that came out of his mouth.
I don’t think I can say much more, my fingers are getting tired and I fear that if I delve any deeper into the movie that spoilers will come about. I would like to mention that as much as I loved this film, there are still a few minor plot problems. I was also part of the focus group, however, and it looks to me like everyone was unanimous on most of the important problems - so they should be fixed by the time you see it. But overall: you will be dazzled, you will be frightened, you will be excited, and you will be out of breath. I sure was.
MAGICDGK
When I saw Serenity at Winnetka on Tuesday I had not seen Firefly, Buffy, or Angel (in other words knew nothing of Whedon). So here it goes (keep in mind I originally wrote this review for a message board, so it has references to that site in it):
Until last night I most definitely could not have called myself a Firefly fan, a browncoat, or a flan (see how fast I’ve caught on? hehe); mainly because I had never seen the show (a very good reason I might add). I had many reasons for not watching the show at the time of airing, the main reason being that the commercials plain out sucked. They made it look like a stupid Star Trek knock-off and completely misrepresented it (as I’ve now learned). Another reason for not watching it was that I simply have had no interest in television in a long time. The only thing that has kept my attention for the past few years has been The West Wing, and even that has gone to garbage now that Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme have left. It was during these years of CTV (Crap Television) that I started to put my Dvd player to great use to start exploring the world of movies. I have since become so obsessed with movies that I have chosen to make them my life and become a filmmaker. Granted, I’m still in high school; but I’ve got my goals pretty squared out.
So - and this is where I will make my point - although I did not walk into the movie theatre last night as a Firefly fan, I most definitely walked in as a MOVIE fan (especially of good ones).
As a movie fan I had read much hype online about Serenity from Aintitcool.com and Comingsoon.net and other movie news sites; so I was definitely excited to see what all the hype was about. While waiting in line I didn’t know what to think. Witnessing such a fan following boosted confidence in my upcoming movie experience, but earlier during the drive to the theater DamnitGirlie had said that Firefly was better than Star Wars, and that is one heck of a high standard for me (I believe in the force - if that is any indication of my dedication to Star Wars).
So to be honest; I was skeptical. I would not believe for one second that a movie could actually be on par with, or be better than, Star Wars. I was WRONG.
I can’t and won’t say that Serenity was better than Star Wars, because they are way too different for me to compare them. But let me put it this way: All my life I’ve envied most adults for having had the experience of watching Star Wars in the theater before it was big. To have had that moment of “Oh my god, this is f**king amazing. Oh my god, this is gonna be huge!” Well, frankly I was jealous - until now. I now feel like I’ve had that kind of experience, and I’ll be able to tell my children that I was at the first public screening (after which they will shoot me confused expressions and whisper “daddy’s a geek” to each other).
Now what did I find so amazing about it? I think the winning factor for me was that it was character driven. Instead of an action packed movie with people, it was a movie about people and how the action affects them. I loved all the characters, and the actors who played the - wait a minute - forget that, I didn’t even remember they were actors till it was brought to my attention afterwards. These characters were so real to me that I genuinely feared for their lives when danger came about. When the reavers came a’knockin I squeezed my girlfriend’s arm tightly.
My one complaint about the characters would be that Mal was too much like Han Solo. Although I think it could be argued that he’s more of an affectionate nod to Han Solo than stealing the whole idea of the character. But for god sakes he had the same gun holster, and he even “pulled a greedo” (for anyone familiar with the Special Edition crap in Star Wars). That’s not to say that I didn’t like the character, I LOVED Mal.
I can’t say much about River without spoiling so I won’t. I will simply say that she is by far my favorite character from the film, and when you see the “money shot” near the end of the film (you’ll know what I mean when you see it) you’ll piss your pants (or something of the equivalent in shaking or gasping motions). I think the true proof that this movie’s characters can hold their own is that I loved this movie with barely any special effects done.
Oh yes, which brings me to a side note. Before the movies started, a focus group woman made a disclaimer speech to the audience about how many effects weren’t done, etc. She actually used the words “When the movie actually comes out, it will be effects driven.” She couldn’t have been more wrong. I don’t think she even knew what “effects driven” means. “Effects driven” would be something like The Matrix Revolutions where there is a 45 minute battle between all CG machines. Serenity is very much the opposite. Yes there are fights. Yes there is a space battle (and quite a fantastic one at that - even though we had to use our imagination for most of it because of unfinished effects). But the effects and action don’t drive the movie; the characters do. I think that is Serenity’s greatest triumph.
Back on the subject of characters; let’s talk about the villain. I absolutely LOVED the villain. I won’t talk much about him because, like most things involving this movie, if I talk about it too much I will spoil. The one aspect that made me absolutely love this villain is that there was an actual explanation for why he did evil things. Most villains are just plain evil and do things for the heck of it. This villain had real motivation and I loved every word that came out of his mouth.
I don’t think I can say much more, my fingers are getting tired and I fear that if I delve any deeper into the movie that spoilers will come about. I would like to mention that as much as I loved this film, there are still a few minor plot problems. I was also part of the focus group, however, and it looks to me like everyone was unanimous on most of the important problems - so they should be fixed by the time you see it. But overall: you will be dazzled, you will be frightened, you will be excited, and you will be out of breath. I sure was.
MAGICDGK
Source
12-17-04, 09:37 PM
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Originally posted by Joss Whedon at Whedonesque:
Okay, a few minutes to dive in before work. Yes, I was at the screening with the execs. Yes, there were more fans (due to a snafu in the recruiting process) than we were expecting and that did skew the results for the execs. We'll screen again for a more anonymous, neutral audience later. I'll not say where or when (see above re: neutral audience) (and I also don't know) and we'll have a better idea about how she's working after that.
Having said that...
What a blast. And not just for me. Even though the testing may have been thrown (partially), there are other factors to consider:
1) Oh My God did I have fun.
2)It was wonderful for the execs to see how strong and excited the fan-base is. I think they were kind of floored. It's one thing to hear about it... My concern (and theirs, I'd say) is always going to be selling it to non-fans (no easy task), but knowing how much my peeps care and what a resource y'all are and have been means a lot. They have a challenge ahead of them (no stars, more 'plot' than 'premise', genre-hybrid -- my usual) but this made it more of an exciting one.
3) Fandom will buy you a lot, but it won't buy you the experience I had. If it doesn't work, the cheers become stale, halfhearted, the energy deflates -- maybe even MORE with a crowd bringing so much expectation. I'm still working on it, and will be till they pry it from my (hopefully not cold dead) fingers, but it really felt like the movie worked.
So, basically, it was a wonderful frikkin' time. Particularly for my editoral and post/sound peeps who were up many nights getting it ready. We all had that sleep deprived, regional theatre we-just-put-on-a-show energy and that's the sweetest.
So thanks. This is only the begining (of the middle of the start-up of the post-finish cacellation twilight of the prologue) but it's a great one.
Have you ever noticed how creativity is a beautiful circle? Just me? Never mind.
Having said that...
What a blast. And not just for me. Even though the testing may have been thrown (partially), there are other factors to consider:
1) Oh My God did I have fun.
2)It was wonderful for the execs to see how strong and excited the fan-base is. I think they were kind of floored. It's one thing to hear about it... My concern (and theirs, I'd say) is always going to be selling it to non-fans (no easy task), but knowing how much my peeps care and what a resource y'all are and have been means a lot. They have a challenge ahead of them (no stars, more 'plot' than 'premise', genre-hybrid -- my usual) but this made it more of an exciting one.
3) Fandom will buy you a lot, but it won't buy you the experience I had. If it doesn't work, the cheers become stale, halfhearted, the energy deflates -- maybe even MORE with a crowd bringing so much expectation. I'm still working on it, and will be till they pry it from my (hopefully not cold dead) fingers, but it really felt like the movie worked.
So, basically, it was a wonderful frikkin' time. Particularly for my editoral and post/sound peeps who were up many nights getting it ready. We all had that sleep deprived, regional theatre we-just-put-on-a-show energy and that's the sweetest.
So thanks. This is only the begining (of the middle of the start-up of the post-finish cacellation twilight of the prologue) but it's a great one.
Have you ever noticed how creativity is a beautiful circle? Just me? Never mind.
Last edited by Barry Woodward; 12-17-04 at 10:38 PM.
12-17-04, 10:38 PM
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Summer Glau video interview at the premiere of Meet The Fockers:
http://www.iesb.net/video/glautaketwo.wmv
http://www.iesb.net/video/whedonesque.wmv
Some fuzzy behind the scenes pictures from the Serenity set:
http://www.iesb.net/video/glautaketwo.wmv
http://www.iesb.net/video/whedonesque.wmv
Some fuzzy behind the scenes pictures from the Serenity set:
Last edited by Barry Woodward; 12-17-04 at 10:41 PM.
12-28-04, 03:00 AM
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A scan of an invitation to the first test screening of Serenity:
From the New York Times:
From the New York Times:
2004: IN A WORD
Glossary by GRANT BARRETT
Published: December 26, 2004
It was the year for FLOPHA, backdoor drafts and the clear and the cream. If this sounds ridonkulous or crunk, well, it was that kind of year for slang and jargon.
Here, a few would-be words that rose to prominence in 2004.
ana, adj., anorexic. The term came to the fore in 2004 through a mention in "Bergdorf Blondes" by Plum Sykes: "ana = anorexic = thin = perfection."
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But it has been common for years in circles concerned with eating disorders.
backdoor draft, n., the filling of military jobs through reactivation of former troops or through mandatory enlistment extensions known as stop-loss orders. Although an issue in the 2004 campaign, "backdoor draft" was referred to as early as 1999, on Internet discussion sites for soldiers.
Bangalored, adj., (of a corporation, project or employment) having been relocated to India, esp. when technological; having lost business or employment due to such a relocation.
Christianophobia, n., behavior opposed to Christians or Christianity.
After the United Nations added anti-Semitism to a resolution this month already condemning Christianophobia and Islamophobia, the Vatican emphasized that Christianophobia is on the rise because Western antiterrorism efforts are perceived as something akin to Christian crusades. (The suffix "-phobia" usually means "fear" but in this term its use is similar to its appearance in "homophobia," where "bias against" or "dislike of" are more accurate than "fear of.") See Eurabia.
clone and kill, v. phr., a catch phrase among those who believe whole humans (including fetuses) will be cloned and then destroyed for scientific study or organ harvesting.
clear and cream, n., euphemisms for performance-enhancing drugs. Both usually used with the definite article: the clear, the cream.
crunk, adj., good, fun, fine. A product of the Southern hip-hop scene. Inconclusively said to be derived from crazy drunk.
Eurabia, n., a (perceived) alliance of Europe and Arab nations (in opposition to Israel, Jews or the United States). An Egyptian-born writer Bat Yeor popularized the term but did not coin it.
FLOHPA, n., collectively, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the swing states in the 2004 presidential election. From the postal codes FL, OH and PA.
gorram, interj., a euphemistic oath, used in place of an actual curse word. From the space cowboy television series "Firefly."
mash-up, n., a blend of two songs or albums into a single cohesive work. Both the term and trend originated in Britain about three years ago, but stateside, rapper Jay-Z was a 2004 mash favorite. Among other works, his Black Album rhymes were mixed by Danger Mouse with the Beatles' White Album to create the Grey Album.
nonanalytical positive, n., circumstantial evidence used in place of medical tests as reason to suspend a sports player for a doping violation.
phish, v., to acquire passwords or other private information (of an individual, an account, a Web site, etc.) via a digital ruse.
podcasting, n., the automated distribution of radio-like programming - interviews, music or even content from established broadcasters - to portable digital audio players. From iPod (the most popular portable MP3 player) plus broadcasting.
purple state, n., a state that does not have a clear Republican or Democrat majority; a swing state.
ridonkulous, n. (very) ridiculous. Also ridonculous, redonculous, redonkulous, redonculus, redonkulus, ridonculus, ridonkulus, redunculous, redunkulous, ridunkulous, ridunculous, ridunkulus, redunkulus, redunkulus, ridunkulus.
spim, n., unwanted commercial messages received in an instant-messaging program. From spam plus instant messaging.
visibility whip, n., a worker responsible for orchestrating the placards, chants and other demonstrations of support among delegates at a political convention.
Despite the name, one doesn't ordinarily see or hear a visibility whip, but this year the executive producer of the Democratic National Convention, Don Mischer used an expletive on the air during a CNN broadcast when balloons weren't falling as planned.
wiki, n., a community-built Web site that allows content to be edited by anyone. From the Hawaiian wiki, which means fast, or wikiwiki, which means very fast.
Wikipedia, Wiktionary and Wikinews are examples, although many smaller sites exist, too, often for software projects.
Source
Glossary by GRANT BARRETT
Published: December 26, 2004
It was the year for FLOPHA, backdoor drafts and the clear and the cream. If this sounds ridonkulous or crunk, well, it was that kind of year for slang and jargon.
Here, a few would-be words that rose to prominence in 2004.
ana, adj., anorexic. The term came to the fore in 2004 through a mention in "Bergdorf Blondes" by Plum Sykes: "ana = anorexic = thin = perfection."
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But it has been common for years in circles concerned with eating disorders.
backdoor draft, n., the filling of military jobs through reactivation of former troops or through mandatory enlistment extensions known as stop-loss orders. Although an issue in the 2004 campaign, "backdoor draft" was referred to as early as 1999, on Internet discussion sites for soldiers.
Bangalored, adj., (of a corporation, project or employment) having been relocated to India, esp. when technological; having lost business or employment due to such a relocation.
Christianophobia, n., behavior opposed to Christians or Christianity.
After the United Nations added anti-Semitism to a resolution this month already condemning Christianophobia and Islamophobia, the Vatican emphasized that Christianophobia is on the rise because Western antiterrorism efforts are perceived as something akin to Christian crusades. (The suffix "-phobia" usually means "fear" but in this term its use is similar to its appearance in "homophobia," where "bias against" or "dislike of" are more accurate than "fear of.") See Eurabia.
clone and kill, v. phr., a catch phrase among those who believe whole humans (including fetuses) will be cloned and then destroyed for scientific study or organ harvesting.
clear and cream, n., euphemisms for performance-enhancing drugs. Both usually used with the definite article: the clear, the cream.
crunk, adj., good, fun, fine. A product of the Southern hip-hop scene. Inconclusively said to be derived from crazy drunk.
Eurabia, n., a (perceived) alliance of Europe and Arab nations (in opposition to Israel, Jews or the United States). An Egyptian-born writer Bat Yeor popularized the term but did not coin it.
FLOHPA, n., collectively, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the swing states in the 2004 presidential election. From the postal codes FL, OH and PA.
gorram, interj., a euphemistic oath, used in place of an actual curse word. From the space cowboy television series "Firefly."
mash-up, n., a blend of two songs or albums into a single cohesive work. Both the term and trend originated in Britain about three years ago, but stateside, rapper Jay-Z was a 2004 mash favorite. Among other works, his Black Album rhymes were mixed by Danger Mouse with the Beatles' White Album to create the Grey Album.
nonanalytical positive, n., circumstantial evidence used in place of medical tests as reason to suspend a sports player for a doping violation.
phish, v., to acquire passwords or other private information (of an individual, an account, a Web site, etc.) via a digital ruse.
podcasting, n., the automated distribution of radio-like programming - interviews, music or even content from established broadcasters - to portable digital audio players. From iPod (the most popular portable MP3 player) plus broadcasting.
purple state, n., a state that does not have a clear Republican or Democrat majority; a swing state.
ridonkulous, n. (very) ridiculous. Also ridonculous, redonculous, redonkulous, redonculus, redonkulus, ridonculus, ridonkulus, redunculous, redunkulous, ridunkulous, ridunculous, ridunkulus, redunkulus, redunkulus, ridunkulus.
spim, n., unwanted commercial messages received in an instant-messaging program. From spam plus instant messaging.
visibility whip, n., a worker responsible for orchestrating the placards, chants and other demonstrations of support among delegates at a political convention.
Despite the name, one doesn't ordinarily see or hear a visibility whip, but this year the executive producer of the Democratic National Convention, Don Mischer used an expletive on the air during a CNN broadcast when balloons weren't falling as planned.
wiki, n., a community-built Web site that allows content to be edited by anyone. From the Hawaiian wiki, which means fast, or wikiwiki, which means very fast.
Wikipedia, Wiktionary and Wikinews are examples, although many smaller sites exist, too, often for software projects.
Source
12-28-04, 07:09 AM
#110
DVD Talk Legend
Is gorram that popular? I hardly ever hear it even on the net, where you think it would be. Nice to see a mention though.
And am I the only person that found The Grey Album just dreadful?
And am I the only person that found The Grey Album just dreadful?
12-28-04, 03:24 PM
#111
DVD Talk Hero
I used "gorram" in the Chipotle thread in Other a few weeks ago.
If you use it spoken conversation, people are going to think you're saying "goddamn," though.
If you use it spoken conversation, people are going to think you're saying "goddamn," though.
12-30-04, 09:17 AM
#113
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Reasons why this will fail miserably at the box office.
1) The original series was crap and deserved to be cancelled.
2) The entire cast is without personality or appeal of any kind whatsoever.
3) The so-called writer/director burned out of interesting ideas about 5 years ago.
4) Who watches westerns any more? Other than the people who love the classic ones? And they certainly won't be spending money on a sci-fi western.
1) The original series was crap and deserved to be cancelled.
2) The entire cast is without personality or appeal of any kind whatsoever.
3) The so-called writer/director burned out of interesting ideas about 5 years ago.
4) Who watches westerns any more? Other than the people who love the classic ones? And they certainly won't be spending money on a sci-fi western.
12-30-04, 10:50 AM
#114
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Fartface
Reasons why this will fail miserably at the box office.
1) The original series was crap and deserved to be cancelled.
2) The entire cast is without personality or appeal of any kind whatsoever.
3) The so-called writer/director burned out of interesting ideas about 5 years ago.
4) Who watches westerns any more? Other than the people who love the classic ones? And they certainly won't be spending money on a sci-fi western.
1) The original series was crap and deserved to be cancelled.
2) The entire cast is without personality or appeal of any kind whatsoever.
3) The so-called writer/director burned out of interesting ideas about 5 years ago.
4) Who watches westerns any more? Other than the people who love the classic ones? And they certainly won't be spending money on a sci-fi western.
12-30-04, 01:20 PM
#117
DVD Talk Limited Edition
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I was watching My Bodyguard the other night and it's interesting to see Adam Baldwin still around and still looking in tip top shape. One of the few actors that has actually gotten better with age.
12-30-04, 02:17 PM
#119
DVD Talk Godfather
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: City of the lakers.. riots.. and drug dealing cops.. los(t) Angel(e)s. ca.
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Originally Posted by Fartface
Thanks, I thought so. But then I don't have a high opinion of myself like some people.
Here's an idea. don't thread crap if you want to have a successful long term stay at dvdtalk. Your post was a waste.
!
12-30-04, 05:12 PM
#121
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Originally Posted by Barry Woodward
Universal plans to release Serenity's first official trailer with The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy out May 6th.
Perfect advertising. Check out these Firefly forums Fireflyers, Firefly Fans, Firefly Movie.
12-31-04, 06:51 AM
#123
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Dr. DVD
When is Firefly coming out now? I thought it was slated for this Spring.
12-31-04, 02:50 PM
#124
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Originally posted by Joss Whedon at Whedonesque:
Well, the great thing about nobody posting on comic book threads is now I can be first or nearfirst, and this can be like my own personal thread made up by me.
As the new year comes tumbling at us like a giant, heaving sack of meat, gristle and hoof-parts, making some kind of horrible screeching and staring at us with its one bloodsoaked eyeball, the joys of Christmas and family make one reflect mellowly on what we've learned in this year. I'd like to share a little of that with you all, unless you are under the age of eleven or between the ages of twenty four and twenty six. (These yuletide musings contain violence, partial nudity, and strong and often incoherent language.) (May contain peanuts.)
Movies: They're hard to make. You have to work for a long time and have a lot of thoughts. And you can't just make Tim do everything for you like before.
Flans: They keep us going. And they retain the shape of the ramekin when you turn them over, like jello does.
Stalin: Killed maybe twenty million people, but the last four million he was just phoning it in.
Compassion: It's the thing where other people talk and you care about their stuff or something -- my wife tried to explain it, but I was in and out.
Happiness: Nothing is more wonderful than the sight of your own baby in your arms. And nothing is more annoying than people who tell you that.
Kill Bill: Long.
J.J. Abrams: Mysterious. Has taken my writers but made no demands, not even a note. He did send me Drew's ear, but I just think Drew was finished with it.
Cheese popcorn: Still important.
Serenity: uhh... nothing comes to mind. Doesn't it mean, like, peacefulness or something?
April: Amazingly enough, actually IS the cruelest month.
Resolutions: Too many to tell, and some are federally incriminating. I'm not perfect (I'm prefectly PROPORTIONED, which is where that confusion comes in) and I've taken a cold hard look at my self in the wane of aught four. There's changes. Work to be done. I plan to be a better, more focussed person next year, and if at all possible, have a bionic arm.
I also resolve to write more. Not like, BENDIS more, but a lot. And maybe have some protien shakes, so my body stays in good enough shape to hold up my bionic arm, which will probably be heavy.
Santa Claus: A vicious lie. (But A Christmas Carol really did happen, with the ghosts and all.)
Wonder Woman: Hmmmm....
Well, kids, the fire is slowly dying, like my kidneys, so let's call it a night. Tomorrow I put on a little hat and raise a glass of champagne for another rotation around the sun. I may stay up till ten. Thank you all for a great year made greater by your community. And remember, stay in school. But after all, isn't the circus a kind of school? A school of life, with dwarfs and sweaty carnies and elephants instead of learning. Stay in school or at the circus. Or in a parking lot. Or somehwere with plants, and ferns. Please leave.
Happy holidays! -- The Remains of Joss Whedon.
As the new year comes tumbling at us like a giant, heaving sack of meat, gristle and hoof-parts, making some kind of horrible screeching and staring at us with its one bloodsoaked eyeball, the joys of Christmas and family make one reflect mellowly on what we've learned in this year. I'd like to share a little of that with you all, unless you are under the age of eleven or between the ages of twenty four and twenty six. (These yuletide musings contain violence, partial nudity, and strong and often incoherent language.) (May contain peanuts.)
Movies: They're hard to make. You have to work for a long time and have a lot of thoughts. And you can't just make Tim do everything for you like before.
Flans: They keep us going. And they retain the shape of the ramekin when you turn them over, like jello does.
Stalin: Killed maybe twenty million people, but the last four million he was just phoning it in.
Compassion: It's the thing where other people talk and you care about their stuff or something -- my wife tried to explain it, but I was in and out.
Happiness: Nothing is more wonderful than the sight of your own baby in your arms. And nothing is more annoying than people who tell you that.
Kill Bill: Long.
J.J. Abrams: Mysterious. Has taken my writers but made no demands, not even a note. He did send me Drew's ear, but I just think Drew was finished with it.
Cheese popcorn: Still important.
Serenity: uhh... nothing comes to mind. Doesn't it mean, like, peacefulness or something?
April: Amazingly enough, actually IS the cruelest month.
Resolutions: Too many to tell, and some are federally incriminating. I'm not perfect (I'm prefectly PROPORTIONED, which is where that confusion comes in) and I've taken a cold hard look at my self in the wane of aught four. There's changes. Work to be done. I plan to be a better, more focussed person next year, and if at all possible, have a bionic arm.
I also resolve to write more. Not like, BENDIS more, but a lot. And maybe have some protien shakes, so my body stays in good enough shape to hold up my bionic arm, which will probably be heavy.
Santa Claus: A vicious lie. (But A Christmas Carol really did happen, with the ghosts and all.)
Wonder Woman: Hmmmm....
Well, kids, the fire is slowly dying, like my kidneys, so let's call it a night. Tomorrow I put on a little hat and raise a glass of champagne for another rotation around the sun. I may stay up till ten. Thank you all for a great year made greater by your community. And remember, stay in school. But after all, isn't the circus a kind of school? A school of life, with dwarfs and sweaty carnies and elephants instead of learning. Stay in school or at the circus. Or in a parking lot. Or somehwere with plants, and ferns. Please leave.
Happy holidays! -- The Remains of Joss Whedon.
12-31-04, 04:32 PM
#125
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
I just finished watching the Firefly DVD series (my, oh, 4th or 5th time all the way through) as part of my new Christmas break tradition (I'm a teacher.) Man, I miss this show. I'll probably watch the series at least one more time all the way through in August in preparation for the movie.
My son, who's in his third year of college at a university in Texas, has Firefly parties about once a month, and does a 14 hour marathon each time for people who have never seen the show. I know of at least a half-dozen of his friends who've purchased the series set after going to his party. He can quote every line in every show for every single character, no lie....
My son, who's in his third year of college at a university in Texas, has Firefly parties about once a month, and does a 14 hour marathon each time for people who have never seen the show. I know of at least a half-dozen of his friends who've purchased the series set after going to his party. He can quote every line in every show for every single character, no lie....