Buzztastic Movieblogging

The folks behind the upcoming sci-fi movie Serenity have shrewdly decided to take advantage of the virtues of Internet-speed marketing by offering bloggers a chance to see an advance screening in exchange for notice on their weblog. Instapundit posted this Friday, and I got the lucky golden ticket in my Inbox yesterday.

After seeing the movie I am expected to write a review - good, bad, or indifferent. In return the representatives of Universal Pictures have asked for a link to the official Serenity site, a graphic, and the following synopsis:

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Joss Whedon, the Oscar® - and Emmy - nominated writer/director responsible for the worldwide television phenomena of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE, ANGEL and FIREFLY, now applies his trademark compassion and wit to a small band of galactic outcasts 500 years in the future in his feature film directorial debut, Serenity. The film centers around Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family –squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal.

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Fair enough. In the interests of full disclosure I've always been an easy mark for good science fiction. I usually get my fix in books though, since movies and TV seem to rarely deliver the same quality (with some exceptions). I never caught the "Firefly" series - which Serenity is a continuation of - when it was on TV, but I certainly remember the uproar from the fans when the show was canceled. I think I can manage a fair minded review afterwards.

Is there an integrity issue here, since I'm basically helping to spread the word about the movie? Good question. Regular readers of this weblog know (I hope) that I'm upfront in my opinions and biases. I will admit to being immensely satisfied that Hollywood has recognized that buzz in the blogosphere is at least as valuable as the old-guard newspapermen and MSM reviewers that are also on the guest list. So I guess the film synopsis - about rogue outcasts engaged in a larger struggle - has some appeal. Let's see if the cinema delivers.