Joss's Episodes of "Roseanne"
Thursday, 12 May 2005 07:10:02

If you've got DirecTv, you'll notice sometimes the Director of episodic television will be included in the info... sometimes also the writer. For most sitcoms, this really isn't important information (is one 'Raymond' writer better than another?), but since I knew Joss wrote a couple 'Roseanne' eps back in the day, I always check the credits when I see it's on. Tonight I caught "Little Sister" (the IMDB leaves this one out, just as it incorrectly credits "Somebody Stole My Gal" to him), and a few weeks back I caught "Brain Dead Poet's Society." If you're a fan of Joss, you should really catch these episodes. I remember reading an interview with Joss where he said he did post-prod work on "The Getaway," and the movie evidently had 'an edge' to it, in the background, like, he wrote all the dialogue for people who weren't the main characters. I still haven't re-watched the movie since I found this out, but these episodes of "Roseanne" really did have that edge. Weird for a sitcom, you say? YOU BETCHA. Both "BDPS" and "Little Sister" weren't all about jokes. In the first, the entire episode just builds up to Darlene reading this dark, personal, highly-effecting poem about how she's the girl boys don't look at (cuz she's a tomboy). It was more a character piece than a sitcom! ... In the 2nd, there are TWO dark subplots, one where Jackie wants to be a cop, and Roseanne hates the idea because (as we find out at the end), it's easy to get blown away (the final 30 seconds of the ep are this long, dramatic pause... "Alright, Meter Maid is good, too)... earlier, Darlene had gone to hang out with Jackie, and Jackie's hella drunk... come to think of it, there was also the thing about Darlene tattling on Becky for looking at Dan's nudie magazines. Does this sound like a sitcom? Joss, you twisted bastard. "BDPS" was new to me, but I rembember "Little Sister" from when it was new. At the time I remember thinking it was a strange episode... both episodes DO have jokes, but none of it's setup/punchline. It's nearly all situational, much like the humor on 'Buffy/Firefly/Angel (and in "Speed" which Joss rewrote). Anyway. I know it seems weird to talk about "Roseanne" on the Firefly site, but if it's late at night and you get the chance to see a Whedon-written episode of ANYthing, do it. He's not usually credited for his movie work (Speed, The Getaway, X-Men 1), so grab it where you can. Here's hoping he avoids therapy for as long as possible. (qs)

Spoiler-Free: A 'Pure' Review of Serenity
Thursday, 12 May 2005 18:16:00

Before I was lucky enough to get a ticket to what is now considered the first round of pre-screenings in Boston, I vowed to remain completely and utterly spoiler-free until I was fortunate enough to see the BDM. This meant that I refused to watch the trailer and avoided all message boards that even made slight reference to anything which it contained. My reason for doing so was the hope that I would be completely surprised by any and all events/ideas/plot which occurred in the characters and story. I found that this strategy was ultimately quite rewarding and I write this review for similarly like-minded fans. What you should know about this film before going in is quite simple. First, do not expect just another episode of Firefly. One of my fears going in was that Serenity would have the same feel as all the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies; meaning a longer story with some special effects, but, for the most part, just a rehashed and slightly more interesting episode of the series. Such was not the case with Serenity. The BDM was just that...a Big Damn Movie. It far outshined anything that occurred in the series and clearly stood apart as a story in and of itself. Once you see it, you will understand why Joss Whedon has continuously stated that the movie is its own entity and not just a part of the series, which was one of his reasons for calling it 'Serenity' and not 'Firefly: The Movie'. Learn to accept this fact and you will be overjoyed when your time comes to see the film. Second, the movie is fairly 'darker' than the series. This should not prove too difficult a concept to grasp, assuming you have read the first point. The TV series, while a little violent and gritty, still maintained an overall sense of calm reassurance and hopeful optimism. The film, on the other hand, takes you for an emotional ride that will have you laughing at times, crying at others, and just plain shocked on more than one occasion. Overall, the story is quite enjoyable; some fans just need to be warned ahead of time to anticipate a different feel for the film than they did with the series. Ultimately, if you refrain from expecting the same light-hearted presentation you experienced over the course of the TV show, you will be more than amply rewarded with a real spectacle of a movie. Third, the movie might require too much back-story for non-fans of the series to completely appreciate. This is one of the more widespread concepts everyone seems to agree upon. It is quite difficult to accurately determine whether or not this is the case, however, simply because once you see an episode of Firefly, you become emotionally invested in the characters to a point where it is nearly impossible to purge your mind of their individual backgrounds and exploits. In addition, most of the people who are unfamiliar with the series, have seen the movie, and written reviews of it are of the correct mindset to appreciate sci-fi, let alone extremely well-written, acted, and filmed sci-fi, so their potentially positive reactions could be a reflection of this open-minded characteristic. My concerns center on the rest of the Serenity’s potential audience. The ones who would not have gone to see the original Star Wars had it not been for its unique marketing and, let's face it, amazing story and special effects. The reaction these masses will have to the BDM is a question everyone is asking and no one seems to have an answer for. Personally, I think that a majority of them will be purchasing the DVD series not long after they leave the theater, but will they be passing the word for others to see the film as well? I guess only time will tell. Until then, however, I plan on spreading my own opinions (in addition to my DVD's) to anyone who is interested, receptive, or just plain curious in seeing something new. I've got my ticket to the screening on the 26th and am bringing 3 Firefly 'virgins' along with me. I figure that while the future of the ‘verse may remain uncertain; we owe fans everywhere, both current and forthcoming, our full supp

New Recruiting Tool
Thursday, 12 May 2005 22:38:10

So a few weeks ago, the wedding tune of the Triumph settlers (from "Our Mrs. Reynolds") got stuck in my head, and I had no choice but to learn it on my fiddle. Then last weekend I went to the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, where my band has a standing gig, and taught the tune to Beth the Whistleplayer. We had a great time playing the tune in one of the booths there. Anyway, she just IM'd me to say that the tune is stuck in her head, so she's going to go buy the DVD 'cuz the song won't leave her alone. I think I've found a new recruiting tool. :-)