And don't you ever stand for that sort of thing. Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back! ... You got the right same as anyone to live and try to kill people.

Mal ,'Our Mrs. Reynolds'


Buffista Movies 6: lies and videotape  

A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.


Kevin - Jun 01, 2008 6:43:54 am PDT #6036 of 10000
Never fall in love with somebody you actually love.

I think the closest stage on the video is the old Serenity one, if I've placed it right.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 6:50:52 am PDT #6037 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

Looking at the video, it's looking like they have lost at least half of the back lot -- the city/western/roman street exterior sets.

They've also lost several large buildings, one of which may be the King Kong ride (part of the back lot tour), and some prop buildings.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 6:56:34 am PDT #6038 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

I'm so very glad this happened early on a Sunday morning. There was, in all probability, no filming going on this morning, and the park isn't really open yet.

I hope the firefighters stay safe.

This is going to be a big loss for Universal (though insurance will mitigate that somewhat). But there was at least one trailer that got totaled by the fire, and that's going to be a hard hit for whatever production was using it. And if there were trailers around, that means that there was something filming in the area that probably just lost their sets, and anything else that was in the path of the flames. That type of loss is usually death to a production.

I wonder how this is going to affect Halloween Horror Nights.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 6:59:37 am PDT #6039 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

Huffington Post's story is saying that there may have been filming going on.

I hope the crews got out okay.


Kevin - Jun 01, 2008 7:02:12 am PDT #6040 of 10000
Never fall in love with somebody you actually love.

Wah.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 7:04:01 am PDT #6041 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

There's a lot of confusion in some of the reports -- the CNN story is saying that some "prop" buildings were destroyed, but seem to think that meant the buildings were props, but I think it's supposed to mean buildings that contain props, and the reporter doesn't understand.

The CNN story also says that a park ride called the "Cyclone" was destroyed, and to the best of my knowledge there is no ride called the Cyclone at Universal.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 7:08:51 am PDT #6042 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

The MSNBC story is saying the firefighters are trying to protect the film vaults, which are, in fact, in that area of the lot.

If they lose the vaults, that loss will be worse than any of the other buildings. Innumerable prints of Universal films dating back to the beginning of the studio are stored in those vaults.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 7:20:02 am PDT #6043 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

And both Universal and the FDLA are saying they plan on opening the park and even operating the backlot tour today (avoiding the danger zone, of course).


§ ita § - Jun 01, 2008 7:21:50 am PDT #6044 of 10000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

As of 20 minutes ago I think there was one report of smoke injury, but the firefighter's been treated and released. The King Kong ride burnt, as well as the New York sets. I think that the classic archives were safe, but some video archives were in danger.


Sean K - Jun 01, 2008 8:12:06 am PDT #6045 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

The smoke column has dissipated. It seems the worst is over.