Another Airplane Flight, Another Opportunity to Watch Cra- Wait! Some of These Were Actually Somewhat Good!.

Flight out:
Æon Flux: 6.5
Ok, firstly, it's pronounced Eon Flux, not Ayon or Ion. It's like the æ in encylopædia. As for the movie, it's your pretty generic futuristic sci-fi flick. Evil government. Band of rebels opposing government. Hot sci-fi babes, etc. The plot sort of grabbed my attention, and I ended up being more interested in it than the in-flight magazine, so it's good in my book.

At the Hotel:
Titanic
Oh, gosh no! Make it stop! Change the channel! Change the channel! Unfortunately, I didn't turn it back in time to see Leo die. That part made me cry tears of joy.

Return trip:
At Atlanta airport:
Serenity: 9.5
What does one do when one has a three-hour layover, a laptop, and a DVD of one's recently most favorite movie? Why one watches said movie of course. I've mentioned Firefly/Serenity a couple times so far and have been meaning to write about it here for a while now, so this seems like as good a time as any.

From September to December 2002, FOX network aired a TV show called Firefly, which was created by a man named Joss Whedon, most well known for the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show had an interesting premise and can best be described as a "Space Western". After airing only 11 episodes (of 14 made), FOX pulled the plug, due to low ratings. The reasons for the low ratings are debated, but the argument most favored by the fans of the show is that FOX chose not to air the pilot, which served as an introduction to the series and the nine main characters. By not showing the pilot episode, it made the show harder to get into, the fans argue.

Regardless of the reasons for cancellation, it should have died then. However, it is said of Joss Whedon that he can create a cult with the same expidition another would write a letter*. In its three short months of life, Firefly managed to build up a loyal fan base who did not want to see their show slip silently into the night.

In December 2003, Firefly was released on DVD and after excellent sales, (500,000 copies as of September 2005; source), Universal picked up the rights to produce a movie, which was titled Serenity. The movie was released in September of 2005 and grossed $38.8m, just shy of its $39m budget (it has, however, made up the rest of that money in DVD sales, with over $9m in sales as of January 2006).

All this happened completely outside of my knowledge. I don't know why I wasn't aware of the show, but when I try to think back to September 2002, all I remember is a big blur of "Day of Defeat" and living off-campus in Steubie. When Serenity was released, I remember being vaguely aware of it and having seen the trailer, but not knowning anything about it somehow I missed out. And now I have to say, I feel cheated.

I finally broke down and rented Serenity after reading numerous positive remarks from m a n y other geeks and nerds (when the movie came out, some of Rie's Blizzard cow-orkers skipped work to see it). Rie and I liked it so much that the next day, I bought the DVDs of Firefly and Serenity. As Rie and I went through Firefly, I tried to pace ourselves and only watch a couple episodes a night, but that didn't work out and over the next three nights we went through all 14 episodes (imagine, something that actually distracted us from playing Warcraft).

I've watched Serenity twice more since (most recently at the Atlanta airport), and I like it more each time. I think the main appeal is a combination of excellent writing, witty dialogue, interesting characters, and a fascinating premise. I know Rie was hooked from the opening credits of the show, the last shot of which is the ship Serenity buzzing a heard of horses. I mean, how can it get any cooler for a nerdy girl than horses and space ships?

So anyways, Serenity comes with highest recommendations. It's not necessary that you see Firefly first, but it will only add to the enjoyment.

Return Flight:
The Family Stone.
Don't know, don't care. I only got as far as the name "Sarah Jessica Parker" in the description before deciding I couldn't care less about it. Not that I could have watched it even if I wanted to, as the audio equipment at my seat wasn't working. Which was a real shame, too, because I desperately needed something to drown out the constant loud, obnoxious yammering of the other people in my row. Those other people seemed to be afflicted with a rare condition that makes them act completely drunk even with no alcohol in their blood. They were also quite oblivious, too. I mean, maybe it's just me, but if the person sitting next to me on a flight stuffs Kleenex in his ears, puts a cap on, and pulls his hood tightly over his head, then covers his ears with his hands, it sorta might be a clue to me that I'm being TOO FREAKING LOUD! Then again, I'm not an idiot.


*Originally a quote from Handel, saying of Georg Philipp Telemann that he "could write a church piece in eight parts with the same expedition another would write a letter."