Threatened??? Come on, people! It's not really the theater manager's faults, and either way, threats and intimidation is just immature. Let's not put that image out there of Serenity fans, please!

Rogue Slayer | April 30, 01:58 CET

Well, I'm flying damn near halfway across the country to see this thing so if some jerk jumps me for my ticket the night of I'm gonna be mighty pissed!!! This is THE MOST expensive movie I'll probably ever go to see -- I'm even lying to people about how much I spent on plane ticket etc. so I don't seem like such a freaking weirdo!

CrazyMutha29 | April 30, 02:03 CET

Wow. That's totally uncool. Getting to see Serenity 5 months early is an honor, a gift, not a right. Show some appreciation, people (whoever you are who made the threats). I'm totally grateful. Let's not ruin it for everybody.

electricspacegirl | April 30, 02:13 CET

There's a fan and then there's a fanatic. I'm pretty sure that threatening someone steps pretty far over the line. Very not cool, and very not the sort of press either Joss or Serenity deserve. Let's hope this is a one-time-only incident.

Jet Wolf | April 30, 02:17 CET

Well said, esg, RS and Jet W. I hope this doesn't ever happen again. Very, very poor behavior.

phlebotinin | April 30, 02:17 CET

And here is what gives active, devoted fandoms a bad name. Unfair as it is, people take an example like this and label us all nuts.

Knock it off people (that are doing this). Bad form. A few of you with the bad taste to behave like this reflects poorly on us all.

Angela | April 30, 02:20 CET

I agree. There are always a few who get out of hand for some reason or another. I am bummed that we can't see it up by us (Northern Wisconsin) until September, but I am excited about having it to look forward to!

Tracy | April 30, 02:22 CET

Must agree. You're throwing egg in Joss' face by acting this way. Which hurts because he's the one that fights to get these events. Last word. Remember where you are.

Madhatter | April 30, 02:27 CET

Wow. Very bizarre. Fan is short for fanatic but still...just bizarre.

And, I might add, very Niska-like.

marmoset | April 30, 02:43 CET

Who the hell is threatening managers?! I know we all love Joss and his work but please get ahold of reality! Speaking of which, I just hope that fans wait in line for the movie at the right theatre (unlike the Episode III fans who are already waiting in line at the Chinese when it's playing at the Arclight here in L.A.).

Oddjob | April 30, 02:54 CET

This is just sad.

palehorse | April 30, 03:15 CET

Ok, I'm taking a different POV here for a moment. Do we know what the actual threat was. I say this having talked to many threatre managers over the years trying to find when or if they would be showing certain films. That sometimes asking them a simple question about a movie they view as a threat and get defensive about. So even though yeah it's totally uncool to use a real threat card, it also may be a matter of perception since we don't know what was really said or the intention of the person saying it. Everybody is using there perception of what the threat may have been without knowing what it is.

RavenU | April 30, 03:21 CET

Well said, RavenU. I think there is some of that at work here. I can imagine, also, enthusiastic callers coming across a little strongly and maybe having that (mis)interpreted as threatening.

BTW, you got a real live human to answer a theatre phone. I'm impressed.

Drifter | April 30, 03:42 CET

You will always get a small amount of eejits in any fandom who take it far too seriously. Utterly utterly stupid thing to do. Universal goes to all this trouble to arrange test screenings and gives a heads up to the fans about it and this is what they get? Unbelievable.

It's only a film. Not being able to see it early will not make any difference to your life.

And I'm equally unamused by people selling the early screening Serenity tickets on eBay.

Simon | April 30, 04:14 CET

Dammit, if Nathan wanted a ticket that badly, he could've just called Joss :-)

wren | April 30, 04:39 CET

Eejits, indeed, Simon.

Hate to think of the sour taste this leaves in the mouths of screening theatre managers, and others who get wind of this story. Hate to think of them dreading September for its sudden, but inevitable influx of hoards of unruly and destructive fanfreaks. Effing embarrassing, is what it is. Surely not what I expected from this smart, funny, compassionate community.

We're I lucky enough to be attending a screening, I'd be reaching out to other likeminded fans in my area to consider some sort of respectful (non-fanfreakish) gesture/token of our gratitude to bestow upon those working the theatre on the big night. (And I'd stay late to clean up any rubbish left behind after the show.)

barest_smidgen | April 30, 04:55 CET

It looks like only two people that I see are selling on ebay. The latter selling two separate single tickets stating that the proceeds above and beyond the cost of the tickets is going to go to charity. Certainly a noble thing to do if you bought the tickets the found out you couldn't go. I could see myself doing something similar if something came up.

As for the first guy who's got two tickets going for like $200 bucks, yeah, shame on him...

CrazyMutha29 | April 30, 05:03 CET

Don't Ebay have a thing about claiming the money is going to charity? Didn't Jonathon Woodwards auction for the Tsuanmi get pulled?

zz9 | April 30, 05:15 CET

This is too bad. And it probably is just a handful of people. RavenU, in some cases you are probably right but because it's getting back to Joss I think it's more likely some people have gone overboard in their reactions to not being able to get a ticket.

I'd love to see it now but I can't and when I finally do get to see it, it will be all the sweeter!

Firefly Flanatic | April 30, 06:45 CET

People are auctiniong tickets on Ebay? WHY? Aren't they fans and want to see it themselves??????(the guy selling for 200 dollars, i mean)

eddy | April 30, 07:01 CET

This afternoon I went to see the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie. I was led to believe the Serenity trailer would be attached to it. It wasn't. So after the movie I went to a theater employee and asked if he knew which movie it was attached to. He didn't know. He went to get the manager. Several minutes later the manager explained that she didn't know, and went to contact the projectionist. Several minutes later, the manager explained to me that the projectionist had no idea. So basically no one there had the slightest clue what I was talking about.

For the record, the entire time I was nice and cordial and at no time did I threaten anyone, although after several minutes had gone by, then several more, and I walked away from the place feeling that a very small slice of my lifeforce had just been sucked out of me for no apparent reason, I feel I would have fully been within my rights to threaten something. Like the pillar I passed by.. or a nearby wall. Something. But I didn't. Because we Firefly fanatics are fanatical but we should not be misconstrued as being in any way shape or form prone to violence. Even though perhaps a small percentage of theater employees should have some sense knocked into them, that's certainly not our job as Firefly fans to do so. That's the responsibility of Star Wars Episode Three fans, who are completely off their rockers anyway.

I also have not threatened anyone involved in the production of the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie, though again I should be well within my rights to do so. Any judge who saw the movie would not convict me if I did. For the record, I have a full review of the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie available at my crappy online journal thingy. There's both the original long review, and a short form version for those with short attention spans. The short form is on top. I'd consider making a shorter short version for people who have already stopped reading this thread, but what would be the point?

ZachsMind | April 30, 08:00 CET

Wren: thanks for the funny! LOL

SaltyGoodness | April 30, 08:59 CET

That sucks Zachsmind, on wednesday I called my theather to ask if the Serenity trailer would be playing and they told me no so I decided to not go see HHGTTG. Why should I go see it when the majority reason I wanted to go isn't going to be there?

eddy | April 30, 09:48 CET

Threatened? You've got to be kidding me. Holy Crap, people! I can almost bet it wasn't anyone of you nice, sane people. Had to be other less sane people on other sites. We all love Joss, but come on! Most of the theater employees are probably high school or college students who have never even heard of Serenity and Joss Whedon. Let's play nice.

Harmalicious | April 30, 10:11 CET

It's unfortunate if some fans felt the need to exhibit their apparent lack of emotional self-control in the face of disappointment (assuming they are not, say, 3 years old). This, coupled with a misplaced sense of proprietary entitlement where things JW are concerned, is not what I would consider 'putting on our best face'. As it reflects on a fandom that's on the verge of increasing media awareness and scrutiny, behavior like this should be regarded as poison.

Shocking but true: Serenity is, after all, only a movie. *squints upward for lightning strike* I mean yeah, I'm bummed out that I live halfway from the hump-end of nowhere, as far as official fandom-type events go, and haven't the slightest chance of seeing our BDH in their glory until five months hence -- but by no stretch of the imagination (or reality) does that give me license to be a BDA. Get a grip, ya'll!

Wiseblood | April 30, 10:14 CET

in my country we have a saying that say "the mother of stupids is always pregnant" ...so why to be amazed? Strange people are anywhere...in our community, too.

rua1412 | April 30, 12:39 CET

Sigh, it's becoming a wild west show (some pun intended).
Now we have scalpers on ebay :-(

TaraLivesOn | April 30, 13:18 CET

Well, that just made my day, rua1412. That just made my damn day. :)

barest_smidgen | April 30, 16:14 CET

rua1412 - that is so good that it would go on my e-mail signature except that I work in a tertiary educational institution and I think they might consider that too close to the mark for such a place!

catalyst2 | April 30, 16:22 CET

Oh my Joss! I live 5 minutes away from Arsenal stadium!

Dear Joss, please come and have a beer with me and watch a game (yes I am needy and desperate, as you well know, we are not having the very bestest of seasons and this would cheer me up no end.) Ok, maybe I need to work on my sales pitch. We could have tea instead of beer.

As to the other thing, if in doubt, go into denial mode: can’t have been any of us because this is beyond uncool. I am guessing fans of some or other second rate scifi movie stirring up trouble. Envy, it’s a terrible sin. Come on Lucas and Spielberg, switch those phones off, you have to let it go. Alternatively could be Chelsea fans. Because nothing is beneath Chelsea fans. :)

miranda | April 30, 17:16 CET

I think Ravenu may be right, there might be some defensive reaction to all the excitement. Theater owners are used to not talking to the patrons (unless the airconditioning is too cold, or not working...the the audio doesn't match the screen). They don't expect a lot of drama regarding a relatively small film. Having a lot of fans (and from what I can see online it has been a lot) phoning their business offices trying to get tickets has probably freaked them out. People don't want to be told that there are no more tickets, or that the theater owner cannot move the film to a bigger theater. I certainly hope that no Browncoat would 'threaten' anyone, but I have heard a lot of people (mostly at the official board) saying they will try to sneak in.

Basically I think the fans need to dial back the drama (people are now talking about calling and/or writing to apologize...which I think would just be more unwanted attention).

We are starting to scare the straights.

embers | April 30, 18:08 CET

Miranda, I don't think your 'sales pitch' is in trouble because of tea instead of beer. I'd imagine it had more to do with your description of yourself as "needy and desperate." For example, I'm always needy and desperate and therefore gave up dating hot chicks years ago. I certainly wouldn't come in here and ask Jane Espenson to have a pint with me, because I assume every post I put on the Web just exudes needy-and-desperateness. You can just see it wafting off the screen right now, can't you? Hence, my point.

This whole 'threatening' thing seems to challenge the idea that any publicity is good publicity, doesn't it? Although granted I haven't been watching the news recently because NetFlix sent me the DVD of Shaun of the Dead, I doubt the Firefly fans are being mentioned on the news because a couple bad eggs are going around threatening theater managers. Come to think of it though, if we did do something that would get the attention of local news organizations around the world, maybe that could be good publicity. Not threatening theater managers, of course. That's lame, and Joss doesn't like it. However, if we could come up with some sort of silly gimmick which cost no money, which we all did at roughly the same time, and was weird enough to get the attention of the news media without "scaring the straights" as Embers so adroitly described it, then maybe we'd have something. Right now, the straights aren't scared of us at all. They don't notice us. We need to think of something we can do that wouldn't scare the straights, but would somehow turn them 'twisted' like us. =) We don't want them to run away. See this is the problem with zombies. If they didn't groan and moan and try to eat people, I bet they'd win over more converts... I think I've seen Shaun of the Dead one too many times.

"They" don't expect a lot of drama regarding Serenity, because they think Serenity's going to be a "relatively small film." There's got to be some way to change that opinion, without landing us all in jail on attempted assault charges. ...Or, you know, eating brains and what not.

ZachsMind | April 30, 18:44 CET

about ebay and charity-ebay did pull revwallet's tsunami charity listing...

and about any publicity being good publicity-what was it Andy Hallett's marketing professor said-"bad breath is better than no breath at all?"
well-every rule has an exception!
threats are the exception.
and they have solutions for bad breath....

terrilove | April 30, 19:35 CET

We are starting to scare the straights.

embers, you made me laugh right out loud. If Whedonesque allowed taglines, I'd totally tag it.

Allyson | April 30, 20:00 CET

I worked in several big-city movie theaters when I was a teenager and I can vouch that theater managers are exposed quite a bit to desperate, pleading, fervent movie-goers. Believe it or not there are many, many fandoms out there and many sold-out special screenings and huge opening nights for which people line up overnight, etc. Theater folk have to deal with angry/upset patrons a lot. Certainly it's possible that a theater manager or two overreacted to a Serenity fan or two but I doubt that's the larger case.

Whatever was done or not done, Joss and Universal aren't happy. I don't blame them. It's time for people to get a grip. I'm an obsessed Firefly/Serenity fan but when pressed, I have to admit it's a MOVIE. It's not a life-saving transplant or medical cure. It will not bring about world peace.

As for people who sneak into screenings and thus deprive ticket holders of seats? Talk about the worst offenders of all. People should be reserving their ire for them.

phlebotinin | April 30, 20:15 CET

As for people who sneak into screenings and thus deprive ticket holders of seats? Talk about the worst offenders of all. People should be reserving their ire for them.

Yeah, I'll be a might hacked off if I show up in Vegas to a full theater when I have an honest ticket!

Rogue Slayer | April 30, 20:54 CET

Hey, to be fair, we're not the ones who pushed this film off until almost October when it should already be on the screens. Frankly, Universal will be lucky if they don't have Firefly fans frothing at the mouth and enviously running around on all fours peeing on moviegoers to Fantastic Four when it comes out. If we all lose our minds and are incarcertated in insane asylums by September and therefore unable to attend the opening weekend of Serenity, it's Universal's own damn fault. Nyah.

ZachsMind | April 30, 21:29 CET

"This whole 'threatening' thing seems to challenge the idea that any publicity is good publicity, doesn't it?"

ZachsMind, the thought had crossed my mind that it could be publicity related, but only briefly. RavenU is probably right, that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Somehow this doesn't sound like a "publicity" stunt, and does tend to give the wrong impression about the fans in general regardless of what the facts are or where the truth lies. Perception is everything. So please behave people, it only takes one to make the entire fandom look insane.

In a similar vein, I've SEEN and HEARD fans of Mr. Marsters acting like complete nutters so it wouldn't surprise me if similar people (all evolved from the same fandom) are indeed acting that way towards Serenity. It probably isn't the same exact aforementioned nutters because those people are surely following James around the UK right now in all their nutty, fanatic glory while yelling at him to take off his shirt or asking if he'll **** them... :) People wonder why the boy dresses like a slob. With the way people act when he's dressed down - if he actually dressed UP, somebody would surely rip his clothes off and assault the guy. In reality though, I know that it's only a couple that act that way when he's on stage but it makes the entire group that follows him like a Dead Head seem a tad creepy. See, perceptions.

[ edited by Grace on 2005-04-30 19:30 ]

Grace | April 30, 21:29 CET

Well, I hope this wasn't any actual Firefly fans; there is speculation on the Serenity site thread where Joss posted this info that it could be someone trying to make trouble for us real fans; apparently there was someone on the site who was making threats and calling folks nasty names since the trailer came out, for which they were subsequently barred. Just think of all the nasty comments in the threads over at AICN et al. I wouldn't be surprised if it's some Ep III kook trying to stir up trouble for us.

spikeangellover | April 30, 21:41 CET

How do people feel about a little honest bribery? The thing I most resented about not being able to get tickets was that apparently a few people bought big blocks of tickets for themselves and their friends. That just bugs me. Also, I sort of wish our ranking on the official site had anything to do with it. How many times on the discussion board have I seen "I can't wait for the Screening, I got TICKETS!" from N00b571, joined yesterday, posts 2.

Gyar...

pixxelpuss | April 30, 21:50 CET

RavenU, you speak the truth. We don't know what happened and we shouldn't speculate on what did. Bottom line is to behave yourselves at these events. If you're turned away because the theater is maxed out, then so be it.

Madhatter | April 30, 22:07 CET

Also, I sort of wish our ranking on the official site had anything to do with it.

Well, to be fair, someone can be a huge Firefly fan without being a member of a site or posting on a forum. That's just not some people's 'thing'. Doesn't make them any less of a fan.

Rogue Slayer | April 30, 22:41 CET

Well, to be fair, someone can be a huge Firefly fan without being a member of a site or posting on a forum. That's just not some people's 'thing'. Doesn't make them any less of a fan.

A point I was just about to make as well. I haven't registered on the official site, just as I never joined The Bronze: Beta or any of the Buffy-related sites despite my love for the show, primarily because I simply don't have the time to keep up on the forums outside of my own. (One of the reasons that I like WHEDONesque so much, because it's so darned quick and easy.) But I boughts me some Serenity tickets, and don't feel that I have any less a right to them as someone who's posted 1000 times somewhere else.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say that the in-fandom splintering was pretty much not the point of this sneak-preview. Envy's a human thing, so I get that. But do we really have to take this down to a "mine is bigger than yours" level?

[ edited by Jet Wolf on 2005-04-30 21:23 ]

Jet Wolf | April 30, 23:21 CET

Golly, I hope we all enjoy this film when it finally comes out,now that we've all set so much store by it. Hopefully, the weight of all our expectations won't crush it to death!

And, Grace, my feeling re our James dressing up or down, is that the smarter you are (sartorially, that is) the more respect you command. It's the knuckle draggers who respond to slobbery. (Sorry, getting prissy in my old age). I'd be happy just to sit next to him with my hand on his knee.

SweetMarilyn | May 01, 01:44 CET

I understand that there are lots of huge fans out there not on the official site, and this is almost entirely spawned by utter horrible envy, but dammit, there was only a five minute window of opportunity! I've been a good Firefly fan... I've converted lots of new browncoats, I watch the DVDs at least once a week, I do all of the challenges in hopes of winning some kind of merch... I just want a teensy crumb, is all... well, either that or a fat PREVIEW SCREENING...

I'm worried about waiting until September, I'm sure the spoilers will be embedded in every teensy aspect of my online experience from May 6th until then, and I'll be disappointed.

pixxelpuss | May 01, 02:21 CET

Yeah we bought the tickets before we even knew we could go! We knew this would definitely be a 'you snooze you lose' situation. Sure enough, an hour later it was all gone. And I can understand pixelpuss' frustration but that's just how it works. Everybody's got a right to go see it if you can get tickets.

As for people selling them on Ebay, that's hardly a surprise. However, that those tickets were over 200 bucks already, was. People that wanna go, REALLY wanna go it seems. Glad we were fast.

EdDantes | May 01, 02:27 CET

I've posted and lurked on too many boards to know that unfortunately that there is a small hard core element who take the Whedonverse far too seriously for their own good and if they don't get their own way, they get nasty.

Personally, I think it paints the Firefly fans in a bad light which angers me cause I know how wonderful the fandom is.

Simon | May 01, 02:28 CET

It was never officially going to be before the HHG. That was just a rumour! God I hope it isn't before Star Wars!

nixygirl | May 01, 05:10 CET

nixygirl, I have no objection to it being before SW (showing people what a REALLY exciting movie looks like). Of course I won't be seeing it if it is before SW because I'm not going to that even to see my BDM's trailer on the big screen!

BTW someone reported the Joss posted something about going to the movies hoping to see his trailer and even HE was disappointed...does anyone know where he posted that?

embers | May 01, 05:38 CET

Man, I can't find that post by Joss??

nixygirl | May 01, 05:47 CET

That's a good point, but I just don't think it should be shoved into that kinda genre, altho it would get a lot of exposure. I would just HATE for ppl to look at the trailer and think to themselves "Oh this movie so wants to be SW" they are complettely different kinds of films. The marketing ppl felt that even tho it was a sci fi movie, it felt more like an adventure type movie. We all got the whole Indiana Jones feeling from Mal. I just cannot stress how fantastic this movie was. It's killing me that I have to wait until Novemeber to see it again!

nixygirl | May 01, 05:52 CET

Joss's post is on the official movie board, here. You have to be a registered user (and signed in) to see it.

lalaa | May 01, 07:36 CET

Heh that was funny. We had the same idea as Joss, going to Hitchhiker just in the hope to see the BDtrailer. But then we heard it maybe wasn't even attached to it and now it appears to be a shot of 1 in 10 if you actually get to see it or not. So we opted not to go since we know little of HHGttG and heard many were dissappointed with it.

Looks like Joss had the same idea and that our fear is exactly what happened to him! "You don't wanna be like me....you really don't." Hehe funny. Sounds like he wasn't happy with the movie either, and then to not even see the Serenity trailer.....grr.

(Imagine sitting in a theater, looking beside you and there's Joss. Hey I'm sure he can walk the street without being chased, but if someone from this board sits next to him there's gonna be some flippin' out to be done!;-)

EdDantes | May 01, 08:28 CET

OK. I give up. I can never find anything on that site unless someone takes pity on me, takes me by the hand and leads me directly to it. Can somebody throw me a clue as to where to find Joss's post?

I took my 9 year old son to see Hitch Hiker today. I had figured that the trailer would not be there, and it wasn't. My son liked it. I thought it was pretty slow a lot of the time. The theater was pretty empty and a good percentage walked out before it was half over, so I guess it is best that Serenity's trailer was not being shown. Actually, now that I think about it, it would have made Hitchhiker's really look bad. When I left I found myself thinking about how far away September is.

newcj | May 01, 08:55 CET

Never mind, I found it.

If anyone wants to know, it is under Movie Production/Is the trailer still attached to HHGG, page 3. Or you can search for Joss_Whedon, but that looks like it takes you to the beginning of the thread.

newcj | May 01, 09:10 CET

Judging by various reports elsewhere, it seems to be hit or miss when it comes to seeing the trailer in an American cinema. But people have actually seen it. But not Joss, which is a shame.

Simon | May 01, 12:54 CET

Didn't have time to read the whole thread, but I just wanted to let Chris Bridges know that I loved his tagline!

…you can't take my show from me…

Love. It.

[ edited by brownishcoat on 2005-05-01 18:16 ]

brownishcoat | May 01, 20:16 CET