Serenity In Atlanta: 5-5-05

Cafe Society
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sciguy’s OP was so long I decided to start my own.

I got to the cinema around 4 pm; there was no line, so I left to get something to eat.

Returned around 5 to see one person, a fellow named David, in line. So, I misjudged how early the crowds would form. No biggie; better safe than sorry.

My friend Larry arrived around 5:30. We left to get a Cinco de Mayo drink (and for Larry to eat) after leaving my cellphone number with David. I asked him to call me when 10 people had lined up behind him.

On our way back from the bar, it was a little chilly. Larry said he would have brought a coat, but “it’s a brown coat, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m one of ‘those’ people” (meaning obsessive fans). I had to tell him the very fact he was at the cinema on this day made him one of “those” people.

We rejoined the line at 6:47. David hadn’t called, and in fact only 7 people were ahead of us. One was a man holding a picket sign which read "Browncoat who was too slow on the draw seeks your extra ticket. Have mercy, I aim to see some misbehavin’. Keep on flyin’.

By the time Larry and I met him, the sign had already worked! A young woman was there with her husband; his brother (her BIL) was sick with strep throat, so she sold their extra ticket to picket-sign-guy for $20. Over the next three hours several other fans trolled the line for spare tickets. As far as I know, no one else was successful.

At 7:20 it started to rain, and the manager let us come inside and queue up outside the auditorium itself. I recounted, and there were now 11 people ahead of us in line.

Around half after 8 a woman representing “Southeastern Browncoats” walked up and down the line giving out t-shirts. I talked her into giving me one, because “I’ll look good in it.” It’s eggshell-colored. On the front is the “SEBC” logo; on the back is the movie’s URL below “The Bluehands Are Coming.” At XL, It’s too big for me, though. Also, there were 13 people ahead of us at this point.

9:09: 16 people. What the hell?!

They finally let us take our seats around a quarter after nine. Larry and I had our pick, and got the seats we would have chosen if no one else had been there: six rows back, or in the second row of the second section, dead center. Sweet! A rep from Universal gave us marketing/demographics questionnaires to fill out. I can reproduce mine in full if anyone’s interested.

We still had to suffer through The Twenty. But there were no ads or trailers.

Just a couple of minutes after ten, the lights went down and Joss appeared on the screen!

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Joss looked like he was in some sort of production room. He spoke for a couple of minutes, sometimes getting choked up but mostly being drily funny. Failed TV shows never get a chance to become big-budget movies, he said. That Serenity did was a testament to the efforts of the cast, the crew, and most of all the fans.

“We have achieved the impossible,” he said, “and that makes us mighty.” The audience roared. He went on to say that “If the movie sucks, it’s YOUR FAULT!”

He went on to say, “If you like the movie, tell someone. Tell EVERYONE. Get the word out.”

“If you don’t like the movie, it’s a time for quiet. For reflection and meditation, not for talking.”

He warned us the effects aren’t complete (I didn’t notice this) and that there was some placeholder music in the score (I did notice this), but that what we were about to see was essentially what will be released to cinemas on September 30th.

Then the movie began, at about 10:07! Running time was about two hours. It ended rather abruptly, with just “The End” and “Serenity” flashing on the screen. I assume credits will be added later, too.

I loved the movie, but I’m hesitant to say much more unbidden. Some people have different levels of spoiler tolerance. So as Cervaise suggested yesterday, I’ll just stop right here and take any questions y’all may have.

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Woot!

Some basic questions:

Is there sound in space?

Is there still occasional cursing or other brief phraseology in Chinese (or other languages)?

Do we see the Blue Sun logo anywhere? (No details please. I just want to know if it shows up; I don’t want to know if it’s major or minor.)

That’s pretty much all I want to know at this point. Per the other thread, please spoiler-box your answers so people can pick and choose which questions they want answered. And thanks a ton, you lucky so-and-so. :stuck_out_tongue:

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I didn’t notice as much Mandarin cursing as in the show, but it is occasional.

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Oh, and:

What the hell indeed. Did anyone else show up?

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Indeterminate. In some parts there’s silence; in others there’s sound. But in the latter case the 'splosions we’re hearing are happening close enough to a planet that they may be within atmo. We’ll have to wait for the completed film (and sweetened/tidied-up soundtrack) to be sure.

[spoiler]Absolutely. Jayne’s favorite word, “gorram” is heard quite frequently, for example. In fact, Joss stuck with the Chinese for cussing purposes. I’d expected him to throw in some “real” (English) cuss words, just because it was a movie and he could, but he didn’t.

The Old West patois remains, or is even stronger and more obscure. For example, at one point a horny Kaylee complains about how long it’s been since she had something “betwixt her nethers.”[/spoiler]

Yes.

You’re entirely welcome!

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You misunderstood me. It was a full house! I was only expressing surprise and dismay that we kept finding ourselves farther and farther back in the line.

There were plenty of people behind us, I tell you what!

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Does Serenity now have weapons?
If so, is it explained that this is a recent modification?
Any Kaylee panda?
Brian

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Yes.

In fact, it happens on-camera! :slight_smile:

I refuse to answer this one. Sorry, you’ll have to wait.