Firefly Sci-Fi's Velvet Underground? by NervousPete

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Firefly Sci-Fi's Velvet Underground?

POSTED BY: NERVOUSPETE
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 05:51
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VIEWED: 1148
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Tuesday, July 27, 2004 2:50 AM

It has been claimed that not many people bought Velvet Underground's albums, or saw them live, when they were around - but that everyone that did immediately went and formed a band. The band of course proved to be an amazing inspiration for many other greats; Joy Division, Talking Heads, Television, Radiohead - um, practically every damn good band ever had them in their collections.

And I suspect that Firefly may prove to be something of an equvilent. Remember Babylon 5, that flawed but brave effort? How after that show EVERYONE was doing story arcs? Firefly melded a story arc with a good vehicle for short stories, but most of all it brought a more naturalistic form of acting, direction and script - a maturity of form that whilst remaining lightfooted seemed altogether more real and immediate than the heavy, ponderous, forced and occassionally sloppy dialogue and direction of its rivals. In Firefly the camera worked in such a way that it seemed as if it was you yourself who was a bystander. It moved in unexpected ways, cross-cutting between faces, zooming in on expressions of people who weren't even the ones talking, who weren't even the ones being addressed - as if the camera were a human being there at the moment thinking, "I wonder what Zoe is thinking right now?" It had a feeling of immediate interest, an almost documentary feel which really impressed me.
The dialogue also was prized for its ability to have people interrupt, overlap each others speech, have tangents of thought. People talked more realistically, despite the gunslinger patois, and became more fascinating characters more quickly because of it.

So, essentially then, Joss Whedon had decided to do 'Robert Altman does sci-fi'.

There were no dead spaces, visuals or dialogue in Firefly (well, nearly never), everything seemed needed and important. It was so... filmic, and in such a wonderful documented style.

So, finally, I get back onto my point after all this gushing. How many people are there out there with stories and characters in their minds who are itching to give them to the world? Stories that aren't even anything like Firefly, not even science fiction or fantasy even, but have been inspired by that dedication and that amazing new style that Joss brought to American science-fiction television - a style previously found only in such reality bound series like the early 'Homicide: Life on the Street', 'Traffic', 'The Wire' and (yes!) 'Ultraviolet' - a genuinely mature, partially documentary-partially filmic style. The thing is, even Firefly isn't quite perfect, some people may watch it, adore it, but question the occassional logic gaps in the thrilling plots - and wonder if they can improve on that. I also believe there may be people out there already in the business of television making who may decide to take more risks after watching Firefly, despite it being cancelled, because of the great artistic results. I firmly believe that people who make formulaic stuff can reach out and be better, that all they are waiting for is some sort of inspiration, and I hope that, like Velvet Underground was, Firefly will be that for them.

So, a cult series that eventually leads to a wonderful maturing of science fiction on television? I certainly hope so, and indeed will be very surprised if it has no effect on the quality of writing and directing in sci-fi shows in the sometime future. I pray that sci-fi will lose the bombast, soap opera acting and stodgy dialogue of many of the efforts and will realise that you can tell epic stories but still keep things very personal and graceful. Firefly will point the way to daring direction, naturalistic dialogue and acting and a genuine passion by all the cast and crew for the material and story. After Velvet Underground music making underwent some sort of metamorphosis, where passion and integrity, an immediacy and daring in style and experiment without going pretentious but still speaking to people, a whole new way of thinking how you can do music - low-fi production, not looking for the perfect sound but the one that beats loudest in your heart - that's the effect Velvet had on those who formed great new bands. Firefly will inspire in the same way.

If Firefly leads to at least three mighty televisual works of equivilent value on television, it will be well worth the shocking cancellation.

Thanks for listening to me wibble.

Pete

"If you can keep your head whilst others... eurgh! Ack! I've spilt my ink! Ugh! Ink on my trousers! Agh! Ink on my shirt! My only hope! The window! Aieeeeee!" (Falls to death)
- Jonathan Nash

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Tuesday, July 27, 2004 5:51 AM

ANNIK

A bit OT: has anyone here ever read the book titled 'The Velvet Underground'?

It was written by a UK reporter back in the day when it was considered to be a major security risk to be both homosexual and working for the government. He stumbles across the pre-Internet version of swingers clubs, and ends up pursuing correspondence and occasionally meeting with some folks as part of his research.

Not only does the 30-some years worth of time between then and now make it quite funny to read, but the ongoing shock and horror this guy expresses every time one of his bait letters gets him an 'honest' reply from a swinger is absolutely hysterical.

It's also interesting to read how this sort of thing was done pre-Internet ... all types of mail intrigue. Quite a contrast in technique and also worth reading if you're a technophile who likes to see how things were accomplished in the absence of certain technologies.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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