Did Universal dodge a bullet by delaying the Serenity release by dizcord

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Did Universal dodge a bullet by delaying the Serenity release

POSTED BY: DIZCORD
UPDATED: Monday, May 16, 2005 17:29
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Monday, May 16, 2005 8:28 AM

Give the dismal performance of the box office for the past weeks, one would speculate that maybe Serenity would not do as well if it was released in April. On the other hand, maybe Serenity would have brought people into the theaters. Any thoughts?

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Monday, May 16, 2005 8:33 AM

EMBERS

I think you're right,
Hitchhiker was #1 when it opened...
so was House of Wax
Kingdom Come
AND Sin City...
problem was that none were good enough to remain #1 in their second week...

So if 'Serenity' had opened on April 22nd it could have probably enjoyed that same bubble of first weekend theater-goers but would have hopefully built up to even more on it's second & third week!
Or do you think these late-Spring/early-Summer viewers are just fickle?

I suppose it is a moot point now...
we just have to hope that it is a clear winner in September!

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Monday, May 16, 2005 8:40 AM

JADEHAND

I think there's something about late winter and early spring that makes going to the theatre just not that interesting. Maybe it's that the movies during that time just aren't very good, or maybe it's why they put the no so good movies out during that time. Not sure. Sorta like do guys lose their hair because they drive convertibles, or do they drive convertibles because they're losing their hair? The world may never know.
Universal was smart enough to know Joss had a good thing and trusted him to do it without any meddling. I'm going to go with they're being smart here too. Late summer/early Fall is much more suited to Movie Time. MHO.

Visit WWW.Marillion.Com for a better way to live

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Monday, May 16, 2005 9:20 AM

MOOSHOO72

I truly do think that releasing it in April would have been a mistake. There's so much hype about Revenge of the Sith, and Hitchhiker's Guide was really big at the time too, that I think Serenity would have been lost in the crowd. And although they haven't really started marketing the movie to the general public (as in national tv spots and billboards and the like), if they start soon they'll have plenty of time to bring in the average non-Browncoat people. I actually think they need to use Star Wars more in marketing, and use some of the finality of the last Star Wars movie ever to say "hey, remember how much you loved this when it came out, well the Serenity epic is just starting up, come see it."

And secretly, in my poor beat-up Star Wars loyal heart, I really hope that it's horrible, even though it might not be. Because the more dissapointed the SW fans are, the easier it will be to bring them over to the Browncoat side.

September just needs to hurry itself up already!

My other ship is a Mid-Bulk Transport Standard Radion Accelerator Core Class Code 03-K64 Firefly.

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Monday, May 16, 2005 1:42 PM

ZOID

mooshoo72:

I was a total Star Wars geek back in 1970-*mumble* when it first came out in the theatres. I saw all of the first three movies (middle three?) at least 8 times each.

These final three films (first three?) have left me with a growing sense of apathy and dread. I find it difficult to care about any of the cardboard characters or dubious plot points. The one overwhelming exception has been the performances of Ewan McGregor, who has been spectacular throughout. He deserves better, IMO.

I love analogies, don't you? Here's my analogy of how Star Wars is going to wrap up... Picture "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", except in Lucas' version, Mordor wins the final battle. Gandalf is cast down and spends the remainder of his days in the Marshes of the Dead. Aragorn is defeated and wanders the Desolation of Morannon for all but the last few days of his life, whispered to be nothing more than an "old madman". All the elvish folk are slain. The Uruk-Hai suck the marrow from their bones. The Shire is pillaged and the Hobbits enslaved by the Nazgul. Sauron unites all of Middle Earth in evil, death and despair.

The End. Music by John Williams. Special Effects by Industrial Light and Magic.

Knowingly,

zoid

P.S.
I suspect SW Ep. III: The Sudden But Inevitable Betrayal, will look fantastic with state-of-the-art special effects (all of which purchaseable from ILM, for you aspiring filmmakers out there) and lots of thrilling light saber-play... In which Evil is sorely tested, but eventually emerges triumphant over the forces of Good. Truly a storybook ending (if you happen to think H.P. Lovecraft makes good bedtime reading for the tots: "And then the Cthulhu devoured the fairy Princess and banished her soul to the seventh realm of Hades. Alright now, lights out and sweet dreams.").
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Monday, May 16, 2005 2:02 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

I don't know for sure. Like most of us, I was pretty down when I heard the premier date set back 5 months. Now, that April 22 has come and gone, and we've seen how other movies have done in that time period, one MIGHT get the impression that the suits at 'versal know what they're doing. (crosses fingers)

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Monday, May 16, 2005 2:43 PM

TECHIECL

I think they did dodge a bullet. Having seen the "Can't Stop The Signal" screener, I'd say its worth the wait to simple give the SFX crew and Joss (and editor Lisa Lassek) enough time to fine tune the movie to become absolute perfection.

A wrap in August then release less than eight months later...I shudder to think at how burnt out the crew working on post would be trying to get a print of the same quality.

p.s. I thought "Serenity" was amazing and one of my favorite films btw.
__________________________________________________
Dogbert: Try not to think of yourself as an organic pain collector hurtling towards oblivion

Dilbert: Too late...

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Monday, May 16, 2005 2:44 PM

BAYBREEZE1

I too saw the original Star Wars movies when they first came out. I can remember sitting in the theater during Return of the Jedi thinking, "Hey, this Yoda guy sounds just like Miss Piggy!" When the movies were rereleased at the theaters many years later, I took my daughter to introduce her to this world that I loved. She too loved it. We were both so excited with the idea of the prequals. I must say that while I have found them to be mildly entertaining, in no way do they elicite the original feelings I had when the first three movies came out, something was definitly lost. And while I am looking forward to the last one, I think maybe it's more of a feeling of , "Thank God, the last one, I don't have to bother with the dissapointment anymore after this." Plus, really, how excited can I get about a movie when I know the end? I mean, no suspense here, no "gee, will Anakin turn evil or stay with the good side of the force?" and stuff like that.

Having said all this, I get now one of the things that pulled me to Firefly. This gem of a show brought back those feelings I had at the theater watching the original Star Wars. Having fun, laughing out loud, being shocked, gasping, and really caring about those characters. That WAS Star Wars, and that IS Firefly (and, I have NO DOUBT, Serenity).

It was Firefly that brought those feelings back. I hope that there is a way to market that, to get that across at least to people who were/are Star Wars fans. I agree with the concept of comparing the two - tell all those Star Wars fans "Remember how it was at the beginning? Well, get ready for a new beginning, get ready to recapture those feelings"

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Monday, May 16, 2005 3:45 PM

GWENHARKER

I just want to say that I've heard nothing but good things about Revenge of the Sith and even though we all know how it ends and it will not end on a happy note (except maybe no more of that crappy Anakin/Padme convenience romance), it'll blow you away. This is what I've heard everywhere, including my cynic neighbor down the road who's kids I babysit for (he gets to see movies such as Star Wars early because the life of a film critic demands as such -_- lucky) So I have faith. I do.

Buck back to the topic. Yes, although it pained us, Firefly is best off for being put out in September for reasons stated above.

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Monday, May 16, 2005 4:26 PM

ZOID

GwenHarker:

Faith is a good thing to have... As long as it's in the Dark Side, as it turns out.

As far as Serenity goes, I will simply state what I told minime in my latest email to her:

Quote:
I know you'll find this encouraging: When you do get back to Oz, Serenity should be just hitting the theatres and I predict it's going to be the smash hit of the year, possibly the decade thus far. Like I said, the buzz here in the States is bordering on insanity.

While I think our mid-bulk transport would have flown regardless when it was released -- because of the excellent writing -- the extra time is clearly being used wisely, thus far. Now, if VU will just heed my prayers and air all 14 hours of Firefly on their SciFi Channel over the Summer, the world's journey to the Brown Side will be complete!

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
By my reckoning, Mal, Jayne, Zoe, Book, Inara and River -- in no particular order -- could take any human in the Star Wars universe, with the sole exception of David Prowse/James Earl Jones' Darth Vader. Darth Christensen? You can throw in Kaylee, Simon and Wash. He's as menacing as a 'dogtown' skateboarder.

P.P.S.
Yes, I too will be seeing SW III: TSBIB in the theatre with the kids. I'm a fan. I'm disappointed in my Astros this season, too. But at least they didn't write the script for their disastrous tale...
_________________________________________________

(*Whiny, nasal voice*) "I find your lack of faith... disturbing." -Darth Vader, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, The Digitally Remastered and Re-Actored Ultimate (Probably) Platinum-Studded-With-Diamonds Collector's Edition

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Monday, May 16, 2005 4:48 PM

COZEN

Berkman's back. Well, sometime soon. Forget Bagwell, there's hope for the beleaugered offence.

Oh.

Serenity will do well in September. It simply rocks too hard not to do well. The trailer hardly touches on it. Trust me. SWep3 will be long forgotten. There's nothing out there compares to Joss's love child. I know, I just do.

Subjectively, yeah, but confidently all the same,

http://www3.sympatico.ca/ldnemeth/images/blackjacksilver.GIF

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Monday, May 16, 2005 5:29 PM

ZOID

cozen:

Yeah, I like that Willy Taveras kid, and Ensberg has been lighting it up pretty good. Berkman coming back into the lineup gets good pitches for the guys batting in front of and behind him...

But they lost too much offense in the off-season and Palmeiro and Vizcaino look like they're nearing the end. We need a couple of veteran run producers, not more kids from the minors. We've got a bad mix of talented youngsters enduring their first tour in the league, and a handful of guys who're in their last campaigns. We need something in the middle, some mid-twenties to early-thirties guys who've been in the bigs for 6 or 7 years.

Half the team drinks soda pop and chews bubble gum, and the other half drinks Geritol and chews Vicodin.

People won't forget Star Wars too quickly. But I think they'll be up for Big Damn Heroes, for a change, instead of the bad guys winning. And I think the movie-going public will be ready for a story. And some dialogue. Oh, and characters they can relate to.

I believe male theatre-goers will prefer our quartet of lasses to Ms. Portman (Mmmm-Morena!), and I think females will find more variety in Serenity's male cast to fantasize about than Ewan or 'Darth' provide. Something for everybody, in an ensemble cast that meshes well together and with the writer/director's vision.

Gotta give Joss his props: He's always had an eye for physically attractive acting talent. (NB: Christina Hendricks in the sequel, Shadow, if you please, Mr. Whedon.)

Respectfully,

zoid
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"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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