Stirrin' things up... what FS movie plot would YOU like to see?

[StarsGoBlue]

At this point, with rumors flying once again, naturally I do not know what to think (indeed, I am amazed that I actually *continue* to think, LOL).

On the movie-vs-miniseries debate, my position is :dunno:

But I was musing about the difficulty of trying to pull off a Farscape feature film (how to explain the complexities of the first four seasons---or whether to---to a new audience; Henson's wouldn't have to worry about whether WE would go to see it!!) :flee:

And then I remembered something from the season 4 companion. For those of you who don't have it or haven't read it yet, please allow me to quote p.78:

:box:

David Kemper recalls that 'John Quixote' went through many variations before Ben Browder came up with the idea of the video game. "We worked on this for about five months before we got to something we liked," he says. "One of our ideas was opening in a prison compound, where villagers have been 'resettled' in the way the Nazis did. A father is telling his son a story about Crichton the human and his terrible band of marauders, to distract him from the fact they are going to the gas chambers. Then Crichton appears, and picks up the story, adjusting it. He says, 'I heard Crichton wasn't so bad---I heard he did things to help people, but that's for you guys to decide.'

"During the rest of the episode," Kemper continues, "you realise something is going on, as we see Crichton glancing around to spot D'Argo in the rafters of the room whittling away, Aeryn in the corner spooling some yarn, and Rygel over by the food pot. Then the Nazi-aliens come in and everyone starts screaming. Crichton and Aeryn spring their plan, and destroy the bad guys, freeing all the good people. At the end, Crichton points to the boy and says, 'Tell them John Crichton was here.'"



I don't know how you all feel about it, but that's one episode I wish we had been able to see (and hope it's *seriously* considered when Farscape comes back). I get a little bit choked up at the "tell 'em" line, but that's beside the point.

Which was, I think, that it might be a good basic plot for either a miniseries OR movie, whatever floats the executive boats.

(All except that spooling yarn thing.... I could see Noranti doing it, and ending up EATING the yarn like spaghetti hanging out of her mouth, but that's just not Aeryn, IMHO.)

So...what do YOU think?

***********Stars :kitty:
Really feeling the need for some starry-kind of smilie... and something with a wicked big hat! :D

[SpaceMonkey]

I'd feel much better, if they just put the show off to the side, in considering the plotline of a feature film... the 'Star Wars' of Farscape HAS to be a stand-alone film, in order to be a success.


I think the first 15 to 30 minutes of the film should be a redux of episode one. John thru the wormhole and ending up on Crais' bad-side.... But then, shake things up, take the storyline in a completely different direction... A standard 'good versus evil' story, with John eventually outwitting Crais by the end of the film.

I'd always thought, for a perfect re-loaded "film" sub-plot:

Scorpius sees the Farscape module & is convinced it was SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for wormhole travel. Think about it-- small, no thrusters, very simple controls, no weapons... He believes John is from a planet that has mastered wormholes & can use them for weaponry & travel. Don't even mention the Ancients-- until the sequel, of course...


Small example-- but I think it would be a good idea to start at the beginning, but make changes... so the movie is 'original' for new viewers AND scapers.

[ScorpSik]

:ewink:
Purely in my own little fantasy land

'Scorpius and Sikozu battle to destroy the Scarran Empire, bringing peace and harmony to the known universe.'

*sigh*:aok:

[MediaSavant]

When questions like this arise, I usually come to the following conclusion:

If *I* can think it up, it won't be any good.

The show--and any television or film I respect--were good because they did things that I couldn't think up. They were Things that delighted and surprised me.

So, that's my answer to this question. I want them to do something that I can't think up.

[harveywhispers]

I want what MS said!

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by SpaceMonkey
I think the first 15 to 30 minutes of the film should be a redux of episode one. John thru the wormhole and ending up on Crais' bad-side.... I broached this timidly in another thread. And it's called story-design - narrative construction within certain parameters, something DK and the gang all have experience with, having worked on other people's shows.

My money would be on a pseudo-reboot: A Crichton from an alternate reality wormholing into the profound gap between Seasons 3 & 4 (all of that unaccountable Aeryn, Scorpy and crew time) if not some PK and Skarren prehistory. That would allow for some of the discoursive business of 'Premiere' and a 'fresh' introduction of the characters and 'Scapian mythology for new audiences.

Just remember, time and continuity aren't strict standards, when you're dealing with wormholes and Unrealized Realities. Movie!John could have been beset by budget cuts, and launched his module 4 years after tv!John. Likewise, movie!John could be very far ahead of us, and be set to test his new 'Tesseract Drive' from a space-platform somewhere, in a first bid for interstellar travel, when the inevitable happens...

[RydraWong]

I'm with MS - I want to be surprised and mind-frelled :eek: . That's why I watch Farscape in the first place ...

[Roland]

Jool coming back with evidence about the Human-Interion-Sebacean link! :cool:

[Kaiwaz]

When Pete Jackson did LoTR, look at all the Tolkien history he jammed into the first couple minutes of his film. You think we couldn't handle four years of Farscape?

[Roland]

YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRU.........UH........FARSCAPE IN FOUR MINUTES! :D

[Nomar]

It will be tough to play to Farscape's strengths in a 2 hour movie.

I don't know if they can properly do the love story. Especially because what's so intriguing are the entire circumstances and trials that J/A wen't through to get to where they are.

I don't know if they can do the character development on the grand Farscape scale. Scorpius as an ally won't be as drawing as him as a villain.

If they do it, I would expect an action packed type of deal. Hopefully picking up after Season 4, but probably not.

[Huh]

Originally posted by Kaiwaz
When Pete Jackson did LoTR, look at all the Tolkien history he jammed into the first couple minutes of his film. You think we couldn't handle four years of Farscape?

Part of the reason the LOTR is so successful is that they managed to put a lot of Tolkien detail into the movie without ramming it down the non-fans throat. I was able to tell my sister, who never read the books, all these little details that she would have never noticed if I hadn't told her. These details did not distract the non-fan and greatly satiated the fan (JMHO, it worked with me). I don't see why Farscape would be any different. A lot of the time I don't know what John is talking about anyway. I had no idea what a comfy chair was, now I do.

I personally don't like any sort of alternative reality sort of thing. The purpose of a movie (I hope) it to bring in more people to watch season 5 or reruns in syndication. I would be mad if I fell in love with characters and a story on the big screen just to find out that it was all a "dream" or something when I tried to watch the television show. Again, such a situation might satisfy the fans, but the movie would have to suit both fans and non-fans alike.

[AnnieBW]

Rygel getting his throne back! With a feature film budget, and WETA's magic "make 1000 charging Riders of Rohan out of 10" software, they could finally have thousands of Hynerians screaming "Long Live Rygel!"

- Annie

[akimbo]

I'm with MS. I love the consistent use of oblique angles in their story lines. Surprise me! I love it!

[Boron]

The characters in this show are so deep and involved, a movie plot could be about anything. There are so many questions that fans like us, who are familiar with the storyline, would like to see, and then there would have to be a grabber to reel the new viewers in, I'm getting excited just thinking about what could be!!
The PTB will do their best, I am sure. We will get more FS!!!


:cool: :D :aok:

[TokyoScaper]

If they did settle on a movie, I would pick it up right where season 4 left off.

However, the first 15-20 minutes or so, I would focus in on grieving D'Argo and Chiana. Drop viewers right into the middle of the shock and grief and then cut to a voice over by Rygel. I would use Rygel's voice over as was done in the Lord of the Rings to basically narrate the first four years of Farscape. Some scenes could use existing footage, some could be reshot. LOTR proved that you can get tons of exposition out in a very dramatic, compelling fashion that is still easy for a completely new viewer to digest. After the exposition, jump right back to Screaming D'argo and get right into the story from there.

The key is use humor and drama in those first 20 minutes to really suck new viewers into caring about John and Aeryn and give them a stake in wanting to see them rescued. I think Rygel would be the perfect narrator, because he is usually not central to the plots as other characters. During the narration he would exaggerate his role and really play it up. You would only hear his voice for the first 20 minutes and then have the actual character introduced in some humorous fashion that makes new viewers, say, "wait a minute, that's the guy we were listening to??" and old viewers think, "oh typical Rygel". Jonathon Hardy has the perfect voice for a storyteller and I think that he could pull something like that off incredibly well.

As for the rest of the movie, just have DK and all do whatever it was they were planning to do. I'm sure that the opener of Season 5 would have been fantastic. Just rescue John and Aeryn and beat the bad guys with all the twists, humor, action and fast pacing that we've come to expect but on a movie budget and within 2 hours. LGM and LATP were both 2 hours in length.

LOTR proved that people that are unfamiliar with the back-story are willing to be sucked into a compelling, believable world for three hours. I think that 20 minutes of well-done exposition + 2 hours of a kick-ass LGM/LATP type story would work just fine.

[Sunderflame]

I'm with the die hards....I agree with MS...surprise me...thrill me

[shamecube]

For instance: Last night I caught a film about half-way through called TRAPPED (courtney love, Kevin Bacon). I knew nothing about the plot or the characters but I was drawn in anyway due to terrific acting, great writing, and suspense. It was a great 1/2 movie.

Basically, every movie has to cram a new life into the space of 2 minutes so the story can proceed. The masters do it well. So if they pick up after Season 4 or on down the line, it could be done. Both independent of the story line and a part of it. With archetypal characters such as these, it's going to be a snap for people of their talent.

[Perfect_Tommy]

You too??? I just came in from a bar and my friend was watching it, next thing you know I was sucked into Kevin Bacon acting like a pyscho..... :D

And how come no "It's not our place to blah blah blah"??? I ask what you would rather see and I get a lecture, then someone else asks about what the plot should be and nothing. I hate you all...... ;)

[DRD1810]

Tokyo-I love that idea! I'm not a big Rygel fan, but that would be funny!

I'm also with everyone else. One of the reasons I watch Farscape is that they come up with better stuff than I ever could!

[PKtralkgirl admirer]

For a Farscape movie plot, I would like to see Chrichton finally give in to Scorpius to save the Sebacians from the Scarrens. It could start with the "Previously on Farscape" segment that is more detailed.

But what I really want is.... Season 5!

Imagine Grayza running from Scorpius\Bracca and seeking asylum on Moya, after a pregnant Aeryn and John are reconstituted. I'd also like to see Jenavia Chato, (ATP 1-3) show up unanounced and try to start things up with Chrichton. Now that would be fun to watch!

[SpaceMonkey]

Here's where everybody cringes.

Can ya see an Aeryn/ John/Chiana/ love triangle?

First half-hour or so of the movie, John & Aeryn have this flirtie-thing happenin', until they rescue Chiana-- then, whoaahhh!! Johnny gets them 'eyes' and the sparks fly!!!

[Ouroboros]

No, no more John and Aeryn they claimed an entire season they'll not get the movie to! ::points pulse pistol with trembling hands::

I think you could do a very decent stand alone movie if you just focussed on Scorpius and the Scarran war. The biggest problem any movie is going to have is getting all the stuff that already happened to John and the crew in there in a way that doesn't seem forced. The answer, don't bother. By only focusing on Scorpius and the war there's a lot less to re-tell and a lot to fill in. I know it's radical but I think it could really work. You focus on Scorpy, his past, his quest for vengeance, what that ends up costing him and how the war changes him and the people around him. It would be a good opportunity to not only tell a good Farscape story but to tell just a good science fiction story in general. Will this hardened man re-discover his humanity in the end, or will he surrender it in order to quench his thirst for vengeance. Which side of him will be victorious in the end, the man or the beast. This side of it would be what would drawn in the new viewers..... who’d then go back and watch the series only to discover Scorpius was the show's villain!

I could easily fill 2 hours with this if not more.

[ScorpSik]

Scorpius *is* indeed the hero. Enduring great odds to propel himself into a position to destroy the oppressors and conquerors.
*sigh*:D

I have wonderful visions of Sikozu and Scorpius cutting a swathe through the Scarran Empire, freeing their respective peoples, finally not having to be weapons anymore......

T'would be heavenly!!:cool:

[SpaceMonkey]

Well--- I saw on the sci-fi board, someone made a VERY interesting point about whether to start a movie from the beginning, or in the middle of a cliff-hanger.

Notr sure of the name now, read it last night-- but the poster used Raiders of the Lost Ark as an example; that movie starts off in the middle of a cliff-hanger! The good guy & the bad guy already know each other, there's already been a history between them... but it doesn't prevent the film from being a standalone.

This is true. Now that I see it that way, It wouldn't REALLY be hard to introduce Scorp or Crias as 'bad guys' who John already knows, resolve the season 4 cliff-hanger in the first part of the film.... and STILL make it a successful stand-alone movie.

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by ScorpSik
I have wonderful visions of Sikozu and Scorpius cutting a swathe through the Scarran Empire, freeing their respective peoples, finally not having to be weapons anymore...... Interesting idea, ScorpSik - but who *are* Scorpy's 'people'?

[Selena]

Movie / Mini-series plotline I'd like to see ...

The crew are fleeing from the Scarrans, Peacekeepers, whatever ... everybody hates them ... they have no friends, right!

They enter a part of Tormented Space that is rife with wormholes.

Aeryn is heavy with child.

John takes his module and as a diversion takes Chi with him (Chiana is feuding with everyone on board as she is feeling shipbound and going stir crazy)

They enter a wormhole and find themselves in an alternate reality where Aeryn Sun and Bialar Crais are both prisoners aboard Moya. Neither of them are in the military. In fact they were an item and Bialar follows in his father's footsteps as a farmer until the Nebari Peacekeepers raid their planet.

Chiana is a military hotshot pilot and part of a sinister Nebari Peacekeeping force - her star is rising as she wheels and deals in misery to get to the top.

D'Argo is imprisoned because he killed his wife's brother.

Rygel tried to take over the throne of his cousin in a Coup that failed.

Zotoh Zhaan is a Delvian who is unjustly imprisoned for the murder of her husband but she really didn't do it. She is not a Pa'u.

Our John and Chiana are captured, imprisoned and face lots of encounters, plot twists and turns which enable John and our Chi to make a break for it and free the prisoners - some of whom are killed. Chiana kills her militaristic counterpart and she and John escape taking Crais and Zotoh Zhaan in a very crowded Farscape 1 module, back to his realized reality.

[Selena]

In defense of all, who did not start watching Farscape at episode 1 ~ Premiere ~ myself included (I found Farscape halfway through season 2) and the many of us who came in halfway through season 2 or 3 and to those who picked it up in season 4 ... what is the dig deal about having to start this delightful story at the beginning if there was a movie?

Those of us who were not there at the start ... we grew to love it (usually in the first episode we saw) even though we were a little puzzled as to what happened to get this weird bunch into the dire predicaments they found themselves in now, didn't we?

A movie could so easily explain the how and where, when and why by using the wonderful little intro that precedes and accompanies the credits. If I knew nothing about Farscape I would go see it at the movies because I love sci-fi. I see every sci-fi movie that hits the big screen and generally, if not the first day then the first week it opens. How many hundreds of thousands of other sci-fi fans would do the same?

[NeuralClone]

Originally posted by Ouroboros
No, no more John and Aeryn they claimed an entire season they'll not get the movie to! ::points pulse pistol with trembling hands::

I think you could do a very decent stand alone movie if you just focussed on Scorpius and the Scarran war. The biggest problem any movie is going to have is getting all the stuff that already happened to John and the crew in there in a way that doesn't seem forced. The answer, don't bother. By only focusing on Scorpius and the war there's a lot less to re-tell and a lot to fill in. I know it's radical but I think it could really work. You focus on Scorpy, his past, his quest for vengeance, what that ends up costing him and how the war changes him and the people around him. It would be a good opportunity to not only tell a good Farscape story but to tell just a good science fiction story in general. Will this hardened man re-discover his humanity in the end, or will he surrender it in order to quench his thirst for vengeance. Which side of him will be victorious in the end, the man or the beast. This side of it would be what would drawn in the new viewers..... who’d then go back and watch the series only to discover Scorpius was the show's villain!

I could easily fill 2 hours with this if not more.

Good heavens, I agree with Ouroboros again! :D

[ScorpSik]

Originally posted by vhsiv
Interesting idea, ScorpSik - but who *are* Scorpy's 'people'?


Scorpy (Gawd luv 'im) considers himself Sebacean....

I never used to be soppy + slushy, but, lordy, oh for a happy + triumphant ending for S/SS
*sigh*:whip: :D