The DVD for Serenity, the film based on Joss Whedon's short-lived television series Firefly holds steady in the #2 slot at Amazon in their sales ranking, with the DVD of the series coming in at #3. Since the series has been available since 2002, and the film was released on DVD on December 20, 2005, these are huge numbers for the franchise. Despite a lackluster showing at the box office, it seems that fans will not let go of Serenity.

For those not in the know, the science fiction series and film follow a band of intrepid adventurers (are there any other sort of adventurers?) aboard a spacecraft named Serenity. The crew picks up a pair of siblings on the run from the Alliance (think universal government). The film covers some of the same ground as the series, but for the most part it is the unique story of what happened to the siblings, Simon and River Tam, and why the Alliance is so interested in recapturing River, a seventeen year old girl.

The Firefly franchise is somewhat unique, however, in that it is a space western. Scenes can shift from a bustling stellar marketplace that is reminiscent of Bladerunner to a dusty planet peopled with Old West characters complete with ten gallon hats. But don't think that Whedon's universe is all derivative — while certain influences are clear, the world of Firefly is like no other.

Back in November of last year, Blogcritics were allowed to submit questions to Mr. Whedon about the film, and this query regarding existential themes from our own Bill Wallo is addressed in the footage below:

In what ways, if any, does the film's storyline manifest your own existential philosophies and/or the work of Jean-Paul Sartre?

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