An observation on the occasion of watching Serenity again

and having to leave the house fairly early tomorrow morning to begin the annual trek to Las Vegas with Kyle and friends:  The obsession at the heart of much of Joss Whedon's work is family, generally extended family.  The stories contain plenty of action, but at core heart is always an extended family.  Membership in that family is rarely cheap or easy, and conflict among its members is common, but when is it not in families?

This focus is, I believe, a key part of what makes Whedon's best works so memorable and so compelling.

And now to pack.

Last chance to see Serenity at the Colony

I've long loved the Colony Theater in North Raleigh.  During the many years I've now lived in Raleigh, I've had the pleasure of watching a great many wonderful films in its two theaters.  This December, alas, the Colony is closing, a development I find very sad.

On Sunday, December 6, the theater is continuing its tradition of recent years of showing Serenity, a movie I love.  I plan to be there.  If you want to make sure you get a chance to say goodbye to this old gem of an independent cinema, you might want to join me that Sunday early evening.

Where I'll be Sunday night

At the Raleighwood Cinema Grill, where the Raleigh NC Browncoats are hosting--and I am once again one of the sponsors of--the annual Can't Stop the Serenity Event. 

From the Browncoats' Web site I just learned that the event is already sold out, but if you happen to be there, come by and say, "Hi."

Yes, I am a big enough geek to not only attend this showing but also to sponsor it.  I love this film, and I'm also a huge Joss Whedon fan. 

Speaking of whom, Joss Whedon, if you're looking for another project, I know of a great SF series you could do a fantastic job of turning into a wildly successful film series....

Serenity and the NC Browncoats

Earlier tonight, the NC Browncoats held their annual showing of Serenity in support of Equality Now and Kids Need To Read. As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, I decided to become a sponsor of the event, and we ended up holding Rana's birthday party there, as about twenty of us gathered to eat, socialize, and watch the movie. Jennie and I also agreed to join Sam Montgomery-Blinn, editor of local SF magazine, Bull Spec, as the judges in the costume contest. (Organizer Jen Hilton is a persuasive, very nice, and very organized woman indeed!)

So, it was an evening of fun and fun work, because picking winners from among the many costume contestants was difficult indeed. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of entrants and the amount of work they had obviously put into their costumes.

I also donated one shirt from each of my stand-up shows and a personalized copy of Children No More to the charity raffle the NC Browncoats held. To my great pleasure, the winner was a veteran, a retired Army Major, whose wife's father had been a Marine. They already knew of and fully appreciated the book, so signing it to him and his wife was more than compensation enough for all I did this evening.

The movie itself was a joy to watch on the big screen. I do love this film, and I found it as engaging and moving as ever.

If you live around here, I highly recommend you attend next year--and buy your tickets early, because it sells out. All profits go to two very deserving charities, and you'll have a swell time. I hope to be there, schedule permitting.

Do good and have a good time: a local showing of Serenity

Each year, the Raleigh Browncoats, a group of fans of the fine film, Serenity, screen the movie and raffle items to raise money for charity. In this act they join similar groups around the country. This year's showing is Sunday, June 26, and I'll be there. In fact, I've signed on as one of the sponsors of the event and will be tossing into the raffle pot a small collection of stuff: a personally autographed copy of the hardback edition of Children No More, plus t-shirts from all three comedy shows.

You can read more about the event here. I have not attended any of the previous showings, so it's certainly possible that the screening will trip my "too much fannishness" meter, but I know I will enjoy seeing the film again on the big screen, so how wrong can I go? I also am happy to help raise money for the charities: Equality Now and Kids Need to Read.

If you live in this area and tickets are still available--when I last checked, they were going fast--I encourage you to join me and a lot of my friends at this worthy event. You can see a good movie, have a good time, and do some good in the world.

Pretty sweet for a Sunday evening.