Could Carnivale influence the Firefly movie? by MaTwang

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Could Carnivale influence the Firefly movie?

POSTED BY: MATWANG
UPDATED: Thursday, October 30, 2003 07:28
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Wednesday, October 29, 2003 5:57 AM

As I continue to compusively watch Carnivale each week, the down-to-earth people who populate it's tales often remind me of the Firefly characters.

Whedon said that the scariest evil dwells in the hearts of men.

Although Carnivale has a supernatural bent, it is, at it's core, a story driven by human choices.

The way the Carnivale characters struggle against political, social, and natural hardship is also very reminescent of the struggles in Firefly.

Consider, for example, the preciousness of the fresh strawberry that Book gives Kaylee. In a normal situation, a strawberry would just be a strawberry. But in Firefly, with the harsh, dry, desert-like conditions, it becomes a jewel.

If Whedon's tuning into Carnivale, and I would imagine that he is, I wonder how Carnivale might influence the next incarnation of Firefly.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2003 6:21 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
Originally posted by MaTwang:
Although Carnivale has a supernatural bent, it is, at it's core, a story driven by human choices.

The way the Carnivale characters struggle against political, social, and natural hardship is also very reminescent of the struggles in Firefly.

I would say it will definitely affect reception of the Firefly movie. Those who are watching Carnivale and keeping their ratings good and high will probably find a simularity between the two shows.

Say, does anyone know how the Buffy/Angel fans feel, knowing Firefly is getting a major motion picture before either shows?

Quote:
Consider, for example, the preciousness of the fresh strawberry that Book gives Kaylee. In a normal situation, a strawberry would just be a strawberry. But in Firefly, with the harsh, dry, desert-like conditions, it becomes a jewel.

This is a GREAT line.

Firefly Artwork Series
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922

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Thursday, October 30, 2003 4:29 AM

CULTTVGIRL

Quote:
Originally posted by Channain:
Say, does anyone know how the Buffy/Angel fans feel, knowing Firefly is getting a major motion picture before either shows?

I'm a huge fan of Buffy, Angel and Firefly, though I'm particularly thrilled that there will be a Firefly movie. Seeing as the show is no longer running I'll take whatever I can get!

As Angel is still on the air, I don't feel the need for a movie. I have it on TV each week, so why should I need a movie?

As for a Buffy movie...I'm not too sure. Firefly was cancelled before its time and there are plenty more stories to tell with the Serenity crew. However, Buffy ran for seven years and kind of came to an overall conclusion, so I'm not sure where else they would take the characters in a movie.

Saying that though, if they did make a movie, I'd be right there on opening day!

Book: “A duel?”
Wash: “With swords?”
Simon: “The Captain's a good fighter, he must know how to handle a sword?”
Zoe: “I think he knows which end to hold.”

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Thursday, October 30, 2003 5:08 AM

SARAHETC

Quote:
Originally posted by MaTwang:
As I continue to compusively watch Carnivale each week, the down-to-earth people who populate it's tales often remind me of the Firefly characters.

I watch it compulsively too, but I wonder about their down to earthness. Some of them may be "aww, shucks" but they're definitely not average and they're not normal. As we've seen, even the rousties can be freaks. And the freaks are just that.

Quote:

The way the Carnivale characters struggle against political, social, and natural hardship is also very reminescent of the struggles in Firefly.

I thought about this all last night and most of this morning and sometimes I agree and sometimes I think it's the exact opposite. What I think the crucial difference might be is this: the lives of Carnivale are extraordinary. They're fated and destined and part of something far bigger than they are.

The lives are Firefly are supposed to be ordinary. Regardless of how much we may have deified them in the long dark night since last December, the point of the story is that they're some nobodies who lost a war, psychic-assassin sisters notwithstanding. Certainly they live remarkable lives in difficult circumstances, but their situation is not extraordinary in their time or place.

That noted, I hope the film is as visually agressive as Carnivale. There's certainly a compatability-of-grit factor.

Fun to talk about Carnivale, too. We could start a "talk story" thread if interest were high enough.

I'm a dying breed who still believes, haunted by American dreams. ---Neko Case

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Thursday, October 30, 2003 7:28 AM

MATWANG

To clarify, perhaps my reference to "ordinariness" shared by both Carnivale and Firely refers to the fact that there's no "aliens" per se in either show.

Althought Carnivale does have the magical/supernatural elements as a prominent feature in it's definition of reality, and clearly, Firefly does not, I'm eager to see what evils Whedon would conjure, since he said that the scariest things aren't "monsters" but the evil the the minds of men.

Firefly would have the convention of "science" to play with, which Carnivale does not have.

There's all kinds of wacky things that they can do and attribute it to "science" of one kind or other.

Such as, River possibly having psychic abilities of some kind, it would not be out of the realm of possibility, I think, since she was so altered by the Evil Scientists which surely changed her in many subtle ways.

So I bet Firefly's next roll out, although not containing aliens in latex, will still have fantastical elements, and although perhaps not mystical then possibly science-based.

And I agree that in Firefly the characers are "normal" whereas in Carnivale they are "freaks" - but remember, Hawkins tells the little girl, "They're just people."

So although the preliminary starting points are in opposite directions, I think they end up closer to each other that we might think.

But yes, wow, the art direction in Carnivale is so amazing. I hope Firefly the movie equals it in it's realism.

Thanks SARAHETC for your post. It's most interesting to think about, as both a Carnivale and Firefly addict.

MaTwang

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