JMS on CompuServe (Jan 29, 1999) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS* (4/5)
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
bbarrett at johndelenn.com
Sat Jan 30 01:08:21 EST 1999
[ Continued from previous section -- BB ]
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
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Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #55532-#Re: IMage Laserdisks
Sb: #55575-#Re: IMage Laserdisks
Sb: #55524-#Re: IMage Laserdisks
Sb: #54955-#Got my Link & PPG!!!
Sb: #55910-Season 5 Cards
Sb: #58465-B5 sim
Sb: #54960-#Crusade name
Sb: #55163-#Crusade name
Sb: #JMS would never ruin B5
Sb: #58121-#JMS would never ruin B5
Sb: #58128-#JMS would never ruin B5
Sb: #58406-JMS would never ruin B5
Sb: #56205-#Call to Arms
Sb: #56290-#Call to Arms
Sb: #56034-#A Call To Arms
Sb: #56166-#A Call To Arms
Sb: #56048-#A Call To Arms
[ Summary: Will Columbia House release the TNT version of
The Gathering on tape? ]
#: 55612 S8/Bab 5 Merchandise
29-Dec-98 15:17:00
Sb: #55575-#Re: IMage Laserdisks
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Dunno...nobody tell me nathink....
jms
[ Summary: Asks if anyone knows why his Laser Disc of Born to the
Purple/Infection is playing poorly on his system. ]
#: 55559 S8/Bab 5 Merchandise
28-Dec-98 23:39:08
Sb: #55524-#Re: IMage Laserdisks
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
It might just be that particular disk; all the ones I've seen are just
gorgeous.
jms
#: 55910 S8/Bab 5 Merchandise
01-Jan-99 20:09:01
Sb: #Season 5 Cards
Fm: SYSOP DUPA T. PARROT
Joe,
I've noticed that Warner Bros Home Video is packaging the season 5 videos ("In
The Beginning" and the "Interstellar Alliance" set of three videos) with two
Fleer/Skybox season 5 trading cards per video. Yet, I haven't heard anyone
talking about the season 5 cards - as if they aren't available.
Do you know if the cards will be available through the usual retail sources?
-SysOp Dupa T. Parrot, Technical Consultant
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dupa
OzWin 2.21 O-
#: 55918 S8/Bab 5 Merchandise
01-Jan-99 22:27:09
Sb: #55910-Season 5 Cards
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yeah, they'll be out. I've seen the final versions, and I think this
may actually be the best set to date. What they do, which none of the prior
sets do, is to choose one key image per episode, and put the key phrase from
that episode on the back...so that each card kind of recreates the feel of the
episode. They're very very cool.
jms
[ Summary: "Does anyone have a release date for the upcoming
Babylon 5 space-sim game?" ]
#: 58575 S8/Bab 5 Merchandise
26-Jan-99 20:28:11
Sb: #58465-B5 sim
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I believe it's slated for July.
jms
[ Summary: (See below.) ]
#: 55096 S9/Crusade
20-Dec-98 23:45:11
Sb: #54960-#Crusade name
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"JMS, it is still "Crusade, the Babylon Project"? just wondering what the
"Babylon" is doing there if it doesn't deal with the station."
It's just Crusade.
jms
#: 55163 S9/Crusade
22-Dec-98 05:58:14
Sb: #55096-#Crusade name
Fm: JEFF PETERMAN
Do you have an updated date for the next movie and the start of the Crusade
series - I've seen several dates posted here and it would be nice to hear from
someone who SHOULD know!
Jeff
#: 55280 S9/Crusade
23-Dec-98 18:04:13
Sb: #55163-#Crusade name
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The intro movie, "A Call to Arms," is still slated for January 3rd; the
series initiall was going to go in January, then they moved it to June 2nd to
make room for the NBA playoffs, and now that it looks like the playoffs may
not happen, I'm hearing March/April.
jms
#: 58103 S9/Crusade
20-Jan-99 23:40:11
Sb: #JMS would never ruin B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
There are continuing references to B5 in the series...we just finished
shooting one last week that brought the Excalibur to B5 itself, in fact.
jms
[ Summary: Likes JMS' style of humor. ]
#: 58126 S9/Crusade
21-Jan-99 14:26:01
Sb: #58121-#JMS would never ruin B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
VISITORS FROM DOWN THE STREET is a very funny and very unusual episode
that kind of puts the conventions on their head...and for another reason,
which I won't even comment on for now, because it kinda has to be seen to be
appreciated.
jms
#: 58128 S9/Crusade
21-Jan-99 14:35:09
Sb: #58103-#JMS would never ruin B5
Fm: GRAHAM SMITH
>>There are continuing references to B5 in the series...we just finished
shooting one last week that brought the Excalibur to B5 itself, in fact.<<
A visit to the old homestead? Joy!!! I'm gettin' homesick already.
I take it you still have enough of the old sets in storage to make the visits
practical.
Which begs another question, if you please. It has been said that one of the
things that made B5 practical was the use of fixed sets - to keep production
costs down. How much of an increase has been necessary to allow for the
continuing requirements of new sets for the locations in Crusade?
--Graham
#: 58166 S9/Crusade
22-Jan-99 00:40:08
Sb: #58128-#JMS would never ruin B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
There was a slight increase in budget for Crusade, but all in it
averages out to only about $20,000 per episode. We're still mainly doing
things smart, not expensive.
jms
[ Summary: (See below.) ]
#: 58463 S9/Crusade
25-Jan-99 22:20:01
Sb: #58406-JMS would never ruin B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"does that mean you had to rebuild B5 sets?"
No, we still have the lion's share of the main ones available to us.
jms
#: 56205 S10/A Call to Arms
04-Jan-99 20:41:09
Sb: #56182-#Call to Arms
Fm: DAVE VINCENT
Message text written by Michael Beemer
> It didn't hit me between the eyes either, but I expect that's due to the
need to set everything in place for the series. It kinda clunked in places
though<
One of the more clunkier moments was the EF captain's command to his crew -
Ramming Speed. Ramming Speed? What the heck is that? Last time I heard that
was in Ben Hur and I didn't see no guy on a drum on the Victory.
Regards,
Dave
#: 56225 S10/A Call to Arms
04-Jan-99 23:19:13
Sb: #56205-#Call to Arms
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Ramming Speed.
If you are approaching a target at speed X, you still have a chance to
peel away at the last moment. If you are approaching a target at the top
speed your engines can provide, such that you cannot turn away or be
deflected, that's speed Y. Speed Y is ramming speed.
jms
#: 56290 S10/A Call to Arms
05-Jan-99 14:50:10
Sb: #56225-#Call to Arms
Fm: DAVE VINCENT
Message text written by J. Michael Straczynski
> Ramming Speed.
If you are approaching a target at speed X, you still have a chance to
peel away at the last moment. If you are approaching a target at the top
speed your engines can provide, such that you cannot turn away or be
deflected, that's speed Y. Speed Y is ramming speed.<
Seems an odd order. Why not maximum speed or full speed ahead? Does EF rules
provide for ramming of other starships?
Thanks,
Dave
#: 56376 S10/A Call to Arms
05-Jan-99 21:56:04
Sb: #56290-#Call to Arms
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"Seems an odd order. Why not maximum speed or full speed ahead? Does EF
rules provide for ramming of other starships?"
Because it also implies "...and we're going to HIT that ship." Ramming
speed says both. You could say, "Give me maximum speed, set a course to RAM
the ship," or you could say "Ramming speed." Same exact content, shorter
terms. Brevity is our friend. Pedantry is not.
jms
#: 56034 S10/A Call to Arms
03-Jan-99 20:06:14
Sb: #A Call To Arms
Fm: SYSOP DUPA T. PARROT
Hiya, Joe.
"A Call To Arms" was pretty damned good and a nice intro to Crusade.
There was a different feel to this one as if you intended for it to be the
transition from B5 to Crusade. The new music was a little jarring (but nothing
I couldn't get used to). The new jump gate/point FX was interesting (I guess
it was about time you changed it after all these years). Sheridan's haircut
looked a bit punkish <g>.
The thieves guild brought back memories of AD&D (I was a thief with a heart of
gold [Would you believe iron pyrite <g>]).
May we assume that there will be no more B5 specific TV movies while Crusade
is in production?
It's a good thing I bought a new VCR last week as my seven year old VCR (which
was wounded during SiL) chomped on the ACtA tape. Time to call Zathras VCR
Repair.
-SysOp Dupa T. Parrot, Technical Consultant
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dupa
OzWin 2.21 O-
#: 56052 S10/A Call to Arms
03-Jan-99 21:07:05
Sb: #56034-#A Call To Arms
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"May we assume that there will be no more B5 specific TV movies while Crusade
is in production?"
As far as I've been told.
jms
[ Summary: How about a B5 theatrical movie? ]
#: 56217 S10/A Call to Arms
04-Jan-99 23:06:13
Sb: #56166-#A Call To Arms
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I'm content to wait until the SW movies are done.
jms
#: 56048 S10/A Call to Arms
03-Jan-99 20:45:06
Sb: #A Call To Arms
Fm: MARTIN ROTH
A few scattered comments and impressions, and a look forward...
The music was very different - a lot more percussive and military than
Franke's scores. At first it was a little distracting simply because it was so
different and unexpected, but I eventually came to the tentative conclusion
that I think I like it. It gives the show a very different feel, which I think
was the point. (BTW, Joe, is Evan Chen doing the music for Crusade?)
I *like* Galen. I can't quite say why yet. But I think he's going to be the
most quoted character when Crusade comes around. In some ways he seems like
the Kosh figure -- someone who knows more than he's telling, and what he does
tell often comes in a form that doesn't make much sense until later.
I also like Dureena. She has attitude, and unlike most of the other characters
we've seen with attitude she doesn't feel compelled to play within anybody's
rules. She and Sheridan played very well off each other, though I really
would've liked to see her deal with Garibaldi a bit. I hope she works as well
with the Crusade regulars.
I like the "flaw" in the Excalibur. You have a superweapon, but if you use it
you leave yourself defenseless for a while. It's an interesting choice,
especially now that there's only one of them left.
And I liked the resolution. I almost wish I hadn't known what was coming with
the plague... it would've been an incredible shock seeing the characters have
their victory snatched away at the last minute.
What didn't I like? Well, I thought that Drake being the leak was a bit
obvious. And the brief scene with the other Captain (whose name I forget)
talking to his wife and kid wasn't really enough to flesh him out as a human
being and really get me to care what happened to him. And I could probably
come up with a couple of other things if I really wanted to try hard enough.
But all my "complaints" are really, really minor.
If this is what we can look forward to in Crusade, I think we're going to
enjoy the next five years almost as much as the last five...
-- Marty http://idt.net/~mroth1/
PPG Director of Information, Forum Resident Know-It-All
"It's not a retreat. It's an advance in an alternate direction."
#: 56054 S10/A Call to Arms
03-Jan-99 21:13:08
Sb: #56048-#A Call To Arms
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"(BTW, Joe, is Evan Chen doing the music for Crusade?)"
Yup.
jms
[ Continued in next section -- BB ]
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