JMS on CompuServe (Aug 07, 1998) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* (1/2)
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
Fri Aug 7 22:34:29 EDT 1998
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #41932-#B5 on Laserdisc
Sb: #jms out of worldcon
Sb: #42043-#jms out of worldcon
Sb: #42148-jms out of worldcon
Sb: #42064-Dust to Dust
Sb: #41957-#UK Showing - ep 517
Sb: #42171-UK Showing - ep 517
Sb: #42159-#520 - Title?
Sb: #41949-#River of Souls
Sb: #42218-jms out of worldcon
Sb: #42279-#jms out of worldcon
#: 41932 S2/Bab 5: General
03-Aug-98 11:51:03
Sb: #41779-#B5 on Laserdisc
Fm: MICHAEL KALUS
>> Yep, everything but the pilot. <<
Why not the pilot? Is the movie not in Widescreen available?
Also I read somewhere that B5 has been broadcasted in Widescreen in Portugal,
does this mean that all the SFX etc. are already available for a Widescreen
release?
Michael Kalus
Definition of Windows 95:
A 32-bit extension and graphical shell for
a 16 Bit patch to an 8 Bit OS originally coded
for an 4 Bit CPU, written by a 2-Bit Company
that can't stand 1 Bit of competition.
#: 41937 S2/Bab 5: General
03-Aug-98 13:51:06
Sb: #41932-#B5 on Laserdisc
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"Why not the pilot? Is the movie not in Widescreen available?"
Wasn't shot that way.
"Also I read somewhere that B5 has been broadcasted in Widescreen in Portugal,
does this mean that all the SFX etc. are already available for a Widescreen
release?"
That's correct.
jms
#: 41990 S2/Bab 5: General
04-Aug-98 00:50:08
Sb: #jms out of worldcon
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
This is a short version of what I sent to the Internet earlier today. In
brief, as most folks hereabouts know, I got hit about a week ago with walking
pneumonia, and have been taking serious antibiotics and other stuff to get
past it, in the hope of being able to attend WorldCon.
A follow-up today with my doctor resulted in him saying that even though
I'm past some of the worst of it -- though weak as a kitten -- I'm in that
perilous situation where if I push it at *all*, if I add stress, I will almost
certainly go right into acute or bacterial pneumonia, which would result in
certain bedrest or even hospitalization. Right now was the worst time to push
it.
So basically, I got bushwacked. Even Harlan threatened dire results if
I even tried to board a plane.
More than anything, I've been looking forward to this, because as a fan,
I know what it means to be a Guest of Honor at a WorldCon; it's one of those
once-in-a-lifetime things, and the perfect end to the B5 5 year arc. But if I
go, I seriously risk falling down, and if I fall down, the company falls down,
and I *can't* do that.
So with regrets...I can't go. The one positive light: we're sending B5
fan club director Julie Walker (also previously the head of the MST3K fan
club) to the con, equipped with all the videotapes I would otherwise be
showing, so there will be a presence there, and you'll see all the stuff I
would have been showing.
So there's that...but I'll confess that I'm seriously bummed about this.
jms
#: 42043 S2/Bab 5: General
04-Aug-98 13:41:12
Sb: #41990-#jms out of worldcon
Fm: REBECCA COSTELLO
It's a shame...but there are other years, as Aunt Agatha would say. Take this
as an doctor-ordered opportunity to be lazy--everyone needs one of those once
in a while, even if it does usually come under the guise of some unpleasant
illness!
Rebecca
#: 42072 S2/Bab 5: General
04-Aug-98 17:38:07
Sb: #42043-#jms out of worldcon
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Because we're shooting this week, the first few days on Crusade, I'm
still coming into the office, but taking it easy and not pushing it. The main
problem was the trip and the stress of a full-blown convention, the
recirculated hotel air, shaking hands with a whole lot of people who may have
colds and the like...it was a disaster waiting to happen under the current
situation.
At least filming is going well.
jms
#: 42148 S2/Bab 5: General
05-Aug-98 09:06:02
Sb: #42072-#jms out of worldcon
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
>> At least filming is going well.
Did you get any more money per ep to make this series?
Also, is it going to be more expensive not to have the crutch of the fixed B5
sets (I know your set designer was sorta a genius at creating mix and match
theater style sets)?
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 42179 S2/Bab 5: General
05-Aug-98 14:42:09
Sb: #42148-jms out of worldcon
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
We have a bit more money...though not a lot. We'll do things as we
always do: smart.
jms
[ Summary: "A friend of mine was watching [Dust to Dust], and he asked
me if the blurry scenes showing G'kar looking at Londo were supposed
to be in 3d." Also asks if JMS' two novels will ever be re-released. ]
#: 42160 S4/Seas. 1-4 SPOILERS
05-Aug-98 12:33:04
Sb: #42064-Dust to Dust
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, it wasn't meant to be in 3D...and I don't have any plans to let
anyone release those books for a bit; I'd rather my first new book out be,
well, a new one.
jms
#: 41957 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
03-Aug-98 18:05:00
Sb: #41948-#UK Showing - ep 517
Fm: JULIE MEHTA
Message text written by Graham Smith
>Alot of that is much the same speculation we have had going on around here on
this side of the pond for the last few weeks.<
I don't read any of the US threads, so I'm afraid you'll just have to put up
with the duplication <s>. Must be a case of "Great minds... " <g>.
>My take on it is that a relatively few people in the government were either
under alien control or in league with the Shadow Allies. They were the ones
that have been running these covert attacks using the Shadow drone pods (or
whatever they are called). <
I agree that fits with what we've seen so far, and seems a feasible
explanation. I'm just not entirely convinced that it's the only one (I get
terribly suspicious of anything that looks obvious <g>).
>That appears to be a tie in to the book "The Shadow Within". <
I haven't read that book, although I believe it's supposed to be fairly well
'canon'. Are there any more details in it about the devices that might be
useful to know?
> I was on the side that was disturbed by the coldness in the killing of the
Drasi, but understood where it came from. I wonder if that scene ran unedited
in the UK? <
I was watching the Sunday afternoon showing so it was almost certainly edited
ie I had to guess from hearing the sound of the shot that the Drazi had
probably killed himself as nothing was actually shown (no blood or body or
anything). I agree the coldness was disturbing, but I feel this reveals the
deep emotion she feels at Byron's death and her consequent ruthless
determination to achieve his goals.
>The US broadcasts stopped at the same point. <
What made it worse for us though is that the break came out of the blue. At
least you knew well in advance that sport was going to get in the way.
> it would be nice if they could syncronize the final few episodes to show
worldwide within 12-24hrs of each other. That way no one has to burst a blood
vessel over spoilers. <
I think we've managed quite well in the forum over the last few months keeping
out of each others' way. But it would be a fun idea to be able to watch the
last few together, and be able to talk to each other for once instead of
huddling in our respective national corners.
Julie Mehta
#: 41995 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
04-Aug-98 02:05:13
Sb: #41957-#UK Showing - ep 517
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"I agree the coldness was disturbing, but I feel this reveals the deep emotion
she feels at Byron's death and her consequent ruthless determination to
achieve his goals."
This was the point I was going for with people who were saying that the
Byron thing was totally extraneous. To get Lyta to this point as a character
-- remembering her "I'll sue" tirade as the last time she even sorta kinda got
mad -- she would *have* to go through the fire, and lose something that meant
enough to push her to this point. So you had to let the relationship with
Byron go full term, follow it over time, and see what it meant to her to
justify and motivate what happens to and with her in the last part of the
season.
jms
#: 42171 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Aug-98 12:53:09
Sb: #41995-#UK Showing - ep 517
Fm: BANCROFT GRACEY
Joe,
>> This was the point I was going for with people who were saying that the
Byron thing was totally extraneous. <<
I don't think either Julie or I (or, indeed, most of the UK mob in here<g>)
have thought that; it's just that we can't quite get a handle on Byron's
psychology (more how/why he got to this point than anything else, I think).
Lyta, otoh, makes perfect sense... <s>
Quick q's (with a slow answer, I suspect): did you 'see' the Lyta/Byron thing
back in the beginning? And, given the cast changes over the seasons, would it
have been Lyta at this point, or someone else - a 'revived' Talia, say, or
Ivanova?
(Thinking about it, I suspect the answers may be a sort of spoiler...)
Btw, do get well soon, or we'll be forced to send you some cute Bearz to keep
you company... <g>
-bpg-
#: 42203 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Aug-98 17:40:08
Sb: #42171-UK Showing - ep 517
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It's no secret that I would've had Ivanova becoming somewhat linked to
Byron romantically (she would see him as a character like Marcus, which is why
there are certain similarities, and she would take a chance only to find it
wrong this time, underlining that she'd missed her one major opportunity thus
far for a good relationship). This was expressed to Claudia toward the last
part of S4, so she knew at that time that her latent ability would be coming
out, and that she'd have a big part in S5.
In this scenario, Lyta would have become a devoted follower of Byron's,
much as she has, but it would have been more love from afar: protective,
somewhat unrequited but hoping for more...so that when he met his fate, Lyta
would end up right where she is now, just by a different road.
jms
#: 42159 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Aug-98 12:16:07
Sb: #520 - Title?
Fm: DARRAN WILLIAMS
Hello Joe,
I hope you're feeling better.
A quick question, a lot of the magazines and the Lurkers Guide refer to
episode 520 as 'The Wheel of Fire'. If I recall correctly I remember seeing a
post from yourself saying that no episode was called this, it is just the
seasons overall title. I have also seen this episode called 'The Alien
Inside'. Any comments?
Darran...
#: 42180 S5/Seas. 5 SPOILERS
05-Aug-98 14:42:10
Sb: #42159-#520 - Title?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Wheel is the correct title.
jms
#: 41949 S15/Thirdspace
03-Aug-98 15:33:02
Sb: #41845-#River of Souls
Fm: GRAHAM SMITH
>>I put myself in the (possibly minority) camp of loving Zack's ramble to
Lyta. The whole thing was just so perfect; I was laughing the whole time.<<
Hrumpf... Leave to a woman to laugh at a man standing there with his emotions
hanging out. You see why men don't display their emotions, they know that
women are just waiting for them to do it so they can laugh at them.
Poor little Zack was standing there like a 16 year old trying to get a date to
the dance, and all you can do is laugh. Have a little sympathy, a little
compassion for the poor guy :)
In all honesty, I suspect that scene cut a little too close to home for some
guys. I know it left me squirming uncomfortably in my chair wanting it to
just end. Laughing was not the main thing on my mind.
--Graham
#: 41989 S15/Thirdspace
04-Aug-98 00:50:07
Sb: #41949-#River of Souls
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"In all honesty, I suspect that scene cut a little too close to home for some
guys. I know it left me squirming uncomfortably in my chair wanting it to
just end."
Then it had the desired effect.
jms
#: 42218 S2/Bab 5: General
05-Aug-98 20:06:07
Sb: #42179-#jms out of worldcon
Fm: SYSOP DUPA T. PARROT
Joe,
Will the new Crusade sets be added to the existing B5 sets or will you have to
put some of the older sets in storage?
Also, I ran into Sandy Bruckner at Reg (I was working the A's and B's) and she
recognized my name (our last names differ by one letter).
-SysOp Dupa T. Parrot, Technical Consultant
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dupa
OzWin 2.20 O-
#: 42226 S2/Bab 5: General
05-Aug-98 23:31:11
Sb: #42218-jms out of worldcon
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Most of the B5 sets are now in storage.
jms
#: 42279 S2/Bab 5: General
06-Aug-98 10:21:11
Sb: #42179-#jms out of worldcon
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
>> We'll do things as we always do: smart.
I've also been hanging out on the Sliders forum a bit. Love the concept,
regret the execution, though the new folks that have the show seem to be at
least *trying*.
Sliders has essentially the same money you do (assuming that's in the
neighborhood of a mil an ep), but they do considerably less with it. I suspect
they labor under the twin deficits of missed deadlines and overtime.
I can't imagine what some of these shows could do if they just organized
themselves properly. This is basically the reason I was crawling up your back
a couple of months ago about putting together a full blown production company
to handle SF from other sources.
If I was a newly minted show-runner, I'd pay you to do a management seminar
for the writers and staff.
Phil^^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 42324 S2/Bab 5: General
06-Aug-98 15:44:12
Sb: #42279-#jms out of worldcon
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah, it's just a matter of preparation and forethought; 30% of any
series budget goes on waste, frankly. We cut that down to basically zero.
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
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