Done the Impossible: the Fans' Tale of Firefly

[Mistermoonlight]

We're doing a SynchroWatch of the superb documentary "Done the Impossible: The Fans' Tale of Firefly & Serenity here at 8pm EDT/7pm CDT.

Pull up a chair, grab some popcorn, and join us!

[Mistermoonlight]

And we're underway!

[Watchtower]

I am having major loading issues right now...

But it's interesting so far.

[AntiArbitrator]

Pretty cool the way the actors introduced themselves as fans same as the fans did during the introduction. They are so very special.

[Mistermoonlight]

It hung up on me at about 7:56 in, but I just moved the bar over a little and it went back to playing for me. Also, you can pause the video for a few minutes and let it build up a bit of a buffer.

I love this documentary, because they're telling my story and everyone else's too.

[AntiArbitrator]

Aug 5, 2012 19:12:19 GMT -5 Watchtower said:

I am having major loading issues right now...

But it's interesting so far.

Me too. At 7'56". Is yours at the same spot?

[Watchtower]

Mine was only a few minutes in and it was like that for awhile, I couldn't get it past the point I was at. I clicked the title which brings me to youtube and the video works now.

[AntiArbitrator]

Aug 5, 2012 19:17:51 GMT -5 Watchtower said:

Mine was only a few minutes in and it was like that for awhile, I couldn't get it past the point I was at. I clicked the title which brings me to youtube and the video works now.

Thanks.

[Mistermoonlight]

Aug 5, 2012 19:14:57 GMT -5 AntiArbitrator said:

Pretty cool the way the actors introduced themselves as fans same as the fans did during the introduction. They are so very special.

I love that, too. I don't think I've ever seen that anyplace else. The stars and the fans are all united, because we're all huge fans.

[Watchtower]

I am at 22:15 now and just hearing the song about the man they call Joss. I love it.

[AntiArbitrator]

I'm at the same spot. That song is very clever.

I can imagine them sitting around telling "war" stories because that's what we do when someone dies. It's "remember when" this or that happened.

That poor lady who started to bawl when she heard the line "We're still flying." That must have hurt.

[Watchtower]

I'm tearing up myself...

The way Adam just described the fanbase (at 26:53) a sense of community, family, and the fact that the impossible can be accomplished... I definately see that in this community. I don't think I've known of any other community that manged to keep together during a move and two boardfalls... so yes, we're just like Firefly, and I keep seeing proof of that.

[AntiArbitrator]

Chloe, you are so right, and it's OK to tear up.

[Mistermoonlight]

When I first came to the WB board back in 2005, one of the founding members of our Shipper-Free Smallville Forum thread called herself Firefly in honor of the show. I never had any idea what she'd been through, because I'd never seen the show before. Boy, I wish I had.

And I've found myself tearing up in a couple of spots in the documentary, too.

[Watchtower]

Speaking of websites, I actually found one a week ago.

www.fireflyfans.net/

Maybe something to check out after this.
(I had this in my bookmarks actually and forgot about it for about a week).

[AntiArbitrator]

I'll check that link out too.

I like the parent who said his son acted as if he had killed a baby when he found out he did not watch the DVD of Firefly. I would have acted the same way. I had to convince my daughter to watch Supernatural and she became addicted. Hmmm, maybe I should tell her to watch Firefly...

[Watchtower]

Okay, it was AFTER I posted that link that I heard that website being named... Shiny!

Gorram video keeps buffering!

[Mistermoonlight]

Now that's timing.

Pause it for a couple of minutes and let it build up some space for the video to buffer.

By the end of this film you'll either feel like Browncoats are a really strange cult, or you'll know that you've got instant friends all across the world by being a Firefly fan.

[AntiArbitrator]

Firefly fans are outrageous. The lady had posted her own Firefly sign at a major retail store. When she checked back and saw it was on the floor, she told one of the clerks their sign had fallen and the clerk taped it back up.

One fan referred to the fanbase as "missionaries". That's what I think of the founders of this site.

[Mistermoonlight]

I love the part where all of the fans are singing the Firefly theme song.

[AntiArbitrator]

I am at 44'56"

[AntiArbitrator]

I like that part too. Every self-respecting Browncoat must know that song. Did you notice the little child knew the words too?

Is it unusual for the writer of a show to also write the theme song?

[Mistermoonlight]

It's pretty unusual, for sure. The only other time I can think of that happening off the top of my head is when John Carpenter, director and co-writer of the original Halloween movie also wrote its distinctive theme, but that one didn't have any words.

[AntiArbitrator]

Thanks, I wondered about that. Joss obviously loved the concept of Firefly.

I like hearing that the cast is as nice as they appear to be. And they would invite the crew to their parties; that is awesome.

[Watchtower]

I think I'm seeing the similarity to Firefly from even before I came into the picture. The original WB was like the Earth that was, which would be like this Earth. The move from the WB to the CW was like the American and Chinese government merging. Some time passed and the spam wars was just the beginning of the war. When the second WB was taken down, that was like when the Browncoats lost the war and we all know the story from there. Our very own Mal, Mistermoonlight found the ship and the family.

[AntiArbitrator]

Wonderful analogy Chloe.

I had to pause here and give a shout-out to the lady whose children watch Firefly. She said her boy knows that if he messes with a woman, the woman will kick his butt after watching the strong women on the show. Go Joss!

[AntiArbitrator]

Gotta love the fans. Girls were wearing Kaylee's dress. The one guy flew twice to California so he could be a walk-on, and they gave him $70, but I could tell he was thrilled to be a part of the movie. The fans looked like they having much fun, and when they were role playing, it was easy to see who they were impersonating.

I'm glad to see people were upset about Wash dying.

Did Joss become involved in other projects, and that's why they did not make another movie? If they can make multiple Star Trek movies, they should have made multiple Firefly movies. (And I have been a Star Trek fan all my life.)

[Mistermoonlight]

Aug 5, 2012 20:41:13 GMT -5 Watchtower said:

I think I'm seeing the similarity to Firefly from even before I came into the picture. The original WB was like the Earth that was, which would be like this Earth. The move from the WB to the CW was like the American and Chinese government merging. Some time passed and the spam wars was just the beginning of the war. When the second WB was taken down, that was like when the Browncoats lost the war and we all know the story from there. Our very own Mal, Mistermoonlight found the ship and the family.

Aug 5, 2012 20:44:06 GMT -5 AntiArbitrator said:

Wonderful analogy Chloe.

I had to pause here and give a shout-out to the lady whose children watch Firefly. She said her boy knows that if he messes with a woman, the woman will kick his butt after watching the strong women on the show. Go Joss!

I loved that, too.

And the version of Mal's song at the very end of the credits is just wonderful.

Hey, that is quite an analogy there, Chloe. I hadn't even thought about it that much in depth. Thank you for the kind comparison to Capt. Mal.

All I knew at the time was that the relationships I'd made--that we'd all made--were too important to let die.

And, as Mal would say, we're still flyin'.

[Mistermoonlight]

Aug 5, 2012 21:00:54 GMT -5 AntiArbitrator said:

Gotta love the fans. Girls were wearing Kaylee's dress. The one guy flew twice to California so he could be a walk-on, and they gave him $70, but I could tell he was thrilled to be a part of the movie. The fans looked like they having much fun, and when they were role playing, it was easy to see who they were impersonating.

I'm glad to see people were upset about Wash dying.

Did Joss become involved in other projects, and that's why they did not make another movie? If they can make multiple Star Trek movies, they should have made multiple Firefly movies. (And I have been a Star Trek fan all my life.)

Unfortunately the movie didn't do well at the box office. It was budgeted at $39 million and only made $25.5 million domestic. International box office (which Hollywood often doesn't respect as much) was $13.35 million, which comes up to just a little less than the production cost. When you add in marketing and distribution costs it lost money.

However, by now, with DVD sales figured in, it should finally be in the black.

[Mistermoonlight]

Anyway, now that you've seen the documentary, do you feel more connected to other fans?

I know that I didn't really fully understand what being a Browncoat was all about until after I saw "Done the Impossible."

Here's an extra little treat you might enjoy: