Firefly Movie

I have a confession to make. I am a Browncoat. No, it's nothing like a brown noser and it has nothing to do with selling cheap illegal watches at airports. It means that I'm a fan of "Firefly", the cancelled tv show and now, the anxiously awaited movie. It basically takes place in space but it's like a western, in space, with guns (the kind with bullets, not the kind that melt your face off). People dress like cowboys and swear in Chinese.

So what connection does this movie have to Canada? Well some of the main characters are Canadians.

Nathan Fillion, the Captain of the Serenity, (the "boat" that the crew rides in) was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He is reportedly a distant relation of Confederate civil war general Jubal Early. (Does anyone know anything about this guy?) Coincidentally, the show has a character on it called Jubal Early. Rumour has it that the producers picked the name for the show because he was an ancestor of Mr. Fillion's.

Mr. Fillion (or 'Captain Tightpants' to his crew) plays Captain Malcom Reynolds and has been compared to Han Solo, most recently in the podcast "The Signal". This is how they are compared. Both are:
1. Ruggedly handsome (though only Han is referred to as a Nerfherder and Mal is more prettyboy)
2. Impulsive
3. Captains of quirky ships that break down, with nooks and crannies that make them perfect for smuggling
4. Han - in love with a beautiful elegant refined princess but doesn't like to admit it
Mal - in love with a beautiful elegant refined courtesan but doesn't like to admit it

Differences:
1. Han - First mate is a hairy wookie that can tear your arm out if he loses to you
Mal - Has a first mate who is a beautiful woman who can kill you with her pinky finger
2. Han - Has some mechanical skills and keep the Falcon flying with help from Chewie and R2D2
Mal - Knows nothing about repairing or maintaining a ship and lets his young female mechanic take care of things
3. Han - Fought on the side of the Rebel Alliance, albeit reluctantly. Was on the winning side
Mal - Willingly fought on the side of the Independence, was on the losing side
4. Han - Became a captain
Mal - Became a sergeant, became a captain after buying his ship Serenity.

Please note, these comparisons were created by the people who produce "The Signal".

The other Canadian in the cast is Jewel Staite, born in BC, Canada. She plays the lovable mechanic, Kaylee Frye who can basically fix anything. I still can't believe she's married but whatever. Anyone out there who got married at 21?

The movie comes out in September but advanced screenings were playing in select theatres in April. Is that nuts or what? Now, this movie wouldn't have been possible without the fans. The show was cancelled after 14 shows a few years ago. Of course it was on the FOX network and apparently they like to kill off good shows. When the DVD came out, the interest was unprecedented and I guess someone dumped money in Joss Whedon's lap and told him he could make a Firefly movie. Rumour has it that the fans were having elephant dung fights with the FOX TV building but you didn't hear that from me.

My suggestion, if you like podcasting and know what they are, subscribe to The Signal. They teach you how to swear in Chinese and you learn things like why Shepard Book may not really be a holy man. And no, I wasn't paid to plug the podcast, I only wish. This blog is done out of interest only.

And here's something for the Alliance to grumble about, You can't stop the Signal!