Netflix Firefly

+ Would you pay 100$ for the Netflix player (in addition to a minimum 9$/month plan)? We probably won't. But when they start giving these away with a two year subscription (like cell phones or high-speed modems), I'd say we'd be a candidate ;-)

+ For our part, we're really enjoying Netflix. I thought about titling this post 'Netflix saved our marriage!' just for fun hyperbole. Grain of truth: we have enjoyed ramping up our movie watching a little and spending that time together. We got out of the habit.

+ In addition, my baby brother, Cory, loaned us the only season of Firefly.

(I'd say 'thanks, Cory', but everyone in my family (minus Christine) has entered into an unholy pact to never read my weblog ;-)

Anyway, I like the premise of Firefly pretty well: Western in space. The only think that doesn't work for me is when they try to use Western-type language. But that's a minor quibble.

Observation: in the first three stories (one was a double episode), Captain Malcolm summarily dispatched a bad guy at the end of the story in about one second. I'd write 'summarily executed', but only one was an execution. The other two were him coming out of nowhere with the bad guy unprepared (but in the act of violent crime and totally deserving it). In the fourth episode, the Captain only injured the bad guy at the end.

Very interesting. Is this part of the Captain's characterization? Is it part of Joss Whedon's formula? Was it intentional? Captain Mal certainly comes off as a bada--.

And I'm fine with execution of bad guys in fiction. It's clean, simple, easy justice. I can't stand fiction where the bad guys don't get justice, including Dolores Umbridge and Mr Dursley (strange examples, I know, but they leapt to mind).

This thirst for justice from someone who claims to believe in mercy for all who want it is obviously a sign of maladjustment/sin.

+ Finally, for this post, I also really like the unlimited Instant movies available through Netflix. Sure, they're second (or third, or fourth, or ...) tier, but I've enjoyed watching some movies I'm mildly interested in without burning a rental on them. I watched The Omega Man Friday night (Christine went to bed early) since I'd read I Am Legend, which it was based on (it was only ok, but only 90 minutes and essentially free). Then, last night, I watched Hellboy: Animated: Blood & Iron, which was excellent.

(Here's something crazy: more than 39,000 Netflix users have rated that video. That's a lot, in my mind. A lot of geeks like me ;-)

Netflix: Supplying the Long Tail (get it? ;-)