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Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:22 pm
by wpgrace
The full pilot, which is only about 25 minutes or so long, has now been posted all over the place... but it began at this lovely new site:

http://www.moonlightguide.net/

Enjoy ladies and gentlemen... new Mick! New everybody else too, but not OUR everybody else. Still our Mick tho. :cloud9:

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:40 pm
by francis
The first one is not available anymore in my country due to content copyright. Is there any way to watch it?
The second one is awesome. I didn't quite like Coraline's look in that jazz bar, but she looked quite vamp-ish. Not as sexy as Coraline though. And I liked the noir.

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:48 pm
by wpgrace
Francis, I heard it's up on YT now... but I haven't looked for it over there... and I haven't seen a link to it on YT... but it MAY indeed be there!

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:55 pm
by redwinter101
francis wrote:The first one is not available anymore in my country due to content copyright. Is there any way to watch it?
The second one is awesome. I didn't quite like Coraline's look in that jazz bar, but she looked quite vamp-ish. Not as sexy as Coraline though. And I liked the noir.
francis, I just watched it without any problems - try again.

Red

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:37 pm
by toria1521
:heart: This was incredible! :smooch: Thanks so much for posting. I'd always heard of this one but hadn't even wanted to see it because of my love for our Moonlight characters. I can totally see this as a series! This Coraline was definitely more vamp like, not nearly as sexy as Shannon, and what the heck was Josef doing? Loved the film noir aspect, the story line, and Mick's disclosure in the first episode. Of course, Alex was just as sexy and talented. I definitely love our show and always will but I can see this taking off had they gone with the original concept. :yahoo:

toria :wave:

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:05 pm
by Shadow
Thanks so much for putting this up here! I'd always wanted to see this, and didn't think I would ever be able to. It's so fascinating seeing the similarities - and the differences. And so wonderful getting just a bit more Moonlight! :melts:

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:32 pm
by darkstarrising
I'll echo what shadow said....I've seen bits and pieces, but never the whole thing..I'll watch it after dinner.


thanks so much for posting this grace, :heart: :heart: :smooch: :smooch: :smooch:

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:30 pm
by librarian_7
I look at it this way...them recasting Josef was life-changing. I certainly don't think I'd have been writing Josef-fic with that guy in my head.

Lucky

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:35 pm
by jen
Thank you so much for posting the link!!!!! Many months ago, I gave up trying to watch this as it seemed unavailable everywhere I tried. I decided it was just a fact about discovering Moonlight after cancellation that I would have to live with. Thrilled and delighted that I was wrong! What a wonderful surprise!!!

Adore the little details that they kept--the sexy vampire sniffing thing; some of the lines and a few scenes. I noticed that some of Mick's abilities didn't carry over but am intrigued with what could have been done with some of them. The seeds were there for a lot of development of other abilities that could grow out of Josef's statement that with age comes power....

The actress who was originally cast as Beth was a surprise--I really liked the different take on the character. There was a vulnerability there that Sofia didn't project. Sophia gave us a Beth who compartmentalized very well. It was a useful coping mechanism and it made for a more complex character, but I still say that original choice was very interesting, too.

The Josef/Coraline connection was intriguing and honestly, I think that the potential simmered right under the surface waiting to be explored, even with Jason and Shannon in those roles. The actress originally cast as Coraline had a harsh, unattractive look. This could be due to the fact that we saw her when vamped out and the vamp look was...not as good as it became in our series.

Of course, Alex was totally fabulous as Mick. Well, how can you improve on perfection? He totally nailed the character and that doesn't happen every day for an actor or actress.

Would I have watched a show based on the original characters and situation? Absolutely. But all things considered, the L.A. Moonlight would be my personal preference.

Thanks again!

Jenna

:hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 12:15 am
by Luxe de Luxe
grace, thanks so much for posting this. this was an unexpected treat. I had no IDEA the pilot was available.

there were things I both liked and disliked about this:

Likes -- primarily our Mick. The Mick hair is there, yay! A little shorter than our Mick's but still with the wavy goodness.
-- loved the New York apartment, casual men's club suits him.
-- the way that baby Beth helped Mick out in the fight. Already bonding, sigh.
-- his guilty little look as he and Beth's eyes locked at the 1st crime scene.
-- the vampire heat vision. Coool.

Dislikes -- the rest of the cast. Both Beth and Coraline were too 'hard'. One of the things that made ML so enjoyable was that our Coraline had a softness that made it difficult to recognise the crazy, hence making us understand why Mick would have loved her once.

-- Josef. Hard to have a bromance with that old guy.

-- Josef and Coraline in league together! Only in our wildest fanfics please!

-- the vamp makeup -- seeing our Mick all ugly-like was just plain wrong.

-- the title. I guess we all know why that was changed.

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 12:59 am
by SharonC
There might be a problem for watchers in Germany with part one even on YT, there is some copyright issue or something :no: I found this out when someone from another board tried to watch it

I am thrilled to have finally seen this version and grateful to those who brought us this treat. I really didn't like the Coraline we saw here out of the three other actors SHE was the worst. In fact where she is concerned acting might be a stretch. Shannyn was amazing in comparison and delivered the lines with the conviction they were due.

This Beth did nothing for me in comparison to Sophia who I thought was wonderful in chemistry with Alex. There just was nothing but a little awkwardness in my eyes.

Josef, well, what can I say if we want someone to lead Mick by the hand YES the older version works BUT this Mick seems to be right on the money so why hence Jason's Josef would be perfect and certainly lighten Mick's mood but Jason also has the dark, intriguing and menacing side too, qualities I don't think this older actor could have brought to the part if asked to.

Perhaps we could have kept a slightly darker Mick in the Moonlight we know and love BUT overall I thought what we got was the best option in all regards.

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 1:34 am
by darkstarrising
Luxe de Luxe wrote:grace, thanks so much for posting this. this was an unexpected treat. I had no IDEA the pilot was available.

there were things I both liked and disliked about this:

Likes -- primarily our Mick. The Mick hair is there, yay! A little shorter than our Mick's but still with the wavy goodness.
-- loved the New York apartment, casual men's club suits him.
-- the way that baby Beth helped Mick out in the fight. Already bonding, sigh.
-- his guilty little look as he and Beth's eyes locked at the 1st crime scene.
-- the vampire heat vision. Coool.

ITA with all of the above, especially the suit look. Also loved the familiarity with Guillermo and I'm glad they kept it in the version we saw.

Dislikes -- the rest of the cast. Both Beth and Coraline were too 'hard'. One of the things that made ML so enjoyable was that our Coraline had a softness that made it difficult to recognise the crazy, hence making us understand why Mick would have loved her once.

-- Josef. Hard to have a bromance with that old guy.

-- Josef and Coraline in league together! Only in our wildest fanfics please!

-- the vamp makeup -- seeing our Mick all ugly-like was just plain wrong.

-- the title. I guess we all know why that was changed.
Luxe's views pretty much summarize my own, but I've added a few others.

Coraline - seemed two dimensional and in Luxe's words, hard. She didn't even come across as 'sexy'. You could believe that Shannyn's Coraline was a courtesan. She had an alluring, siren-like quality. This other woman didn't.

Josef - they went for the sterotypical in the pilot - if Josef was to be the father figure, the older, worldly wise mentor, then he should look older. Again, Luxe has it right - he could never have the relationship Jason's Josef had with Mick and that relationship was such an integral part of the ML we came to love.

Beth - I could have lived with this Beth if she had lightened up a bit, but perhaps that was the direction she was given. Also, she didn't look very convincing as the baddie was about to kill her. Sophia just brought Beth to life and made her believable.

Carl - I like Brian, but this guy was ok

Guillermo - I'll be honest, for a moment, I thought it was Jacob Vargas.

Other random thoughts. Loved how bits and pieces of the original pilot found their way to the series:
-the bit about not wanting to be an eternal teenager found its way to 'Arrested Development'.
-the scene with the cigarette lighter shows up in Out of the Past.
-Mick paying off Guillermo in the pilot got translated to Beth paying off other morgue attendants as she was searching for leads. Frankly, I prefer Guillermo being less mercenary.
-the goth teenage vamps got reincarnated as Donvan Shepherd's 'family'.

Some of the shots even worked their way in - baby Mick in the batcoat on the roof.

What I wish they would have kept:

- a little more of the dark Mick. Dispatching the vamp guarding Coraline's house was pretty dark (and pretty cool)
- the sexual aspect of Mick's turning.
- liked Mick playing a trumpet in a jazz bar - seemed more relaxed / realistic than the stiff performance as a guitar player we saw in the series.

What I found weird:

- having Beth remember who he is at the end of the pilot. I think the way his identity as a vampire, then later as Beth's guardian angel played out better as it was shown in the series.

- Josef and Coraline - there had to be more to that part of the story and I wonder what it would have been.

The odd thing after having seen only bits and pieces before, I was prepared to really dislike the pilot, or find it wanting. Instead, I found it oddly appealing in some ways, although clearly lacking in others.

I can see why Alex was the only member of the cast they kept. The actors portraying Josef, Beth and Coraline were less believable, less flexible, portraying their characters more as caricatures (Coraline) or stereotypes (Josef and Beth) than they should have been.

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:42 am
by nutmegger911
Thank you, Grace!
What a wonderful treat!

The original pilot was good, but I'm glad they changed the cast. The only cast member (other than Mick) who would have translated well was Carl. I like both Carls.

The older Josef was okay as a mentor, but bringing Jason in gave Mick a mentor who was physically a contemporary. That allowed them much more freedom to pal around and get into adventures together.

I liked this, but our ML hit it out of the park. (IMHO)

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:04 am
by PNWgal
What Luxe and DSR said.

I could have gotten behind this Moonlight. It was darker, grittier than the Moonlight we got, as was this Mick. This is the Mick our Moonlight hinted at, a guy that tried to do some good to make up for what he become, but who wasn't above a little dirty work when it was necessary.

And - shallow moment here, but Mick playing that trumpet in a smoky club, tie and vest undone, was just plain hot. :melts:

I'm very glad they recast Coraline - Shannyn made her shine. I actually could have lived with the original Beth - I thought she was adorable, if a bit stiff. And - my eternal apologies to the Jason fans, but I really liked this Josef. He fit my vision of an ancient, experienced vamp...but I AM glad he was recast, because I LOVED our Josef. Besides...this version shows us that Josef knows MUCH more about things than he lets on - I LOVED the idea that he was behind Coraline escaping the fire.

And - I absolutely LOVED the ending. Mick's vulnerability was so easy to see and feel.

Re: Full ML Original Pilot

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:09 am
by darkstarrising
PNWgal wrote:What Luxe and DSR said.

And - shallow moment here, but Mick playing that trumpet in a smoky club, tie and vest undone, was just plain hot. :melts:
O yeah :cloud9: (and not so shallow)