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J. Michael Straczynski Wants Garibaldi and Londo in Next Babylon 5 The Lost Tales DVD

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By GustavoLeao / 12:10, 9 September 2007 / General Genre/SciFi

The latest issue of Starburst magazine, out in the UK, features an exclusive interview with Babylon 5 producer J. Michael Straczynski, in which he talks about the direct-to-DVD movie Babylon 5 The Lost Tales. Here are few excerpts from the interview.

At one point, you were hoping to do a B5 feature, but that fell through. How did The Lost Tales come together ?

JMS : There were a couple of brief conversations about a feature film, but I didn't pursue one because a prior experience didn't work out too well and in the intervening period of time we lost Andreas (Katsulas) and Richard (Biggs). And I said to Warners that I really can't wrap my brain around a film as long as Andreas and Rick insist on staying dead. So, I said 'Well, what about doing a series of short stories centred around our surviving characters, those that are still with us ? Sort of an anthology kind of thing, a half hour to a hour per person ? In two hour increments ? We'd call it The Lost Tales. And they thought about it and said 'All right'. I said 'Good, I'll write it and produce and because it's the first one up and no one's done B5 in a while, I'll direct it. And they said 'OK'. Then I said 'I dont want any interference'. I wanted to do it my way. They said 'OK'. And that was that.

How pleased are you with the finished product ?

JMS : It's all turned in and done and I'm very, very happy with it. It looks very cool. We have about 200 effects shots in it. The station looks more real than it ever has before. The characters work very nicely. The mystery is there in some of it.  Crusade had its own feel and Rangers had its own feel, but this feels like Babylon 5, like we've gone back to it and opened that door again. So, to me, it's very satisfying. It feels like what the show should feel like. I think the fans who are eager to get more of that universe will be very happy with it.

Are you thinking about the next stories [for the next DVD] ? Would a Garibaldi story be in the mix if there's another DVD ?

JMS : Yeah, if we do another one I would definitely put the Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) story in and probably a Londo (Peter Jurasik). That would be my preference for the next two [...].

To read the full article, get the new issue of Starburst Magazine at your local newsstand.



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RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 06:08:30 on Sep 10, 2007

Well, I am a fan since the first season (I have the original version of the pilot in VHS) but I agree that The Lost Tales was somewhat talky and static, like he said. Hopefully, future DVDs will have better stories.

Gustavo

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gl2000@uol.com.br

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RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
By: TonyDP (Odo's file, contact) @ 10:58:44 on Sep 10, 2007 | Edit History (6)

RobertB:

By "larger in scope" I mean that I'd like to see something a little more elaborate than what was essentially a stage play - right down to actors walking on and off camera - with a few FX thrown in. Look at War Without End or any of the B5 movies or even episodes of Crusade; those had relativey low budgets but still told a good story with drama and conflict.

The problem with Sheridan's story bringing up more questions than answers is that it is not a foregone conclusion that we will get more Lost Tales. If you have a chance at telling a B5 story, and there is no guarantee that you'll ever be able to tell another one, wouldn't it be better to resolve some threads than introduce new ones which may never be visited again? Wouldn't it be better to spend time with characters you know and care for than introduce new, potentially one-shot characters that are then left hanging with no guarantee of further exploration?

As for the lack of movement and talkiness to the stories; comparing a one shot show to a handful of episodes out of a five season arc is pretty flimsy. Again, there's a very good chance we may not see any more B5 for a very long time, if ever. Given that, I'd like something a bit more memorable. Now if you want "talky" stories, how about Day of the Dead or And The Sky Full of Stars or Sleeping in Light - stories where, despite their brevity, characters are really analyzed and in some cases undertake some fundamental steps in their evolution. Does Lost Tales hold a candle to any of those? Hardly.

Despite your protestations, the sets were sparse to the point of being silly, even by B5's sometimes modest standards. I'm not expecting the full scale bridge to a Star Destroyer, but honestly, compared to what we got in the previous shows and movies, the hallways from the TOS Star Trek had more character.

Despite what you may think, I am a fan of B5 (and I'm a fan of Trek and other science fiction as well). But to my way of thinking, being a fan of something doesn't mean blindly supporting it just because it has a few characters and the show's logo slapped on it. I gave JMS and WB the benefit of the doubt and shelled out cash for Lost Tales to show my support for the show; but they only get one free ride, especially when you stop to consider that previous B5 incarnations were free and they're now charging $20 MSRP for the show. They'll have to do better next time if they still want my money.

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RE: Here's Hoping for Something a Bit Less Modest Next Time | Report this post to moderator
By: Yesterday's Lemmiwinks (Odo's file, contact) @ 09:48:18 on Sep 10, 2007

Then respectfully, I'd say you are not a fan.

There is nothing respectful about that. Please remove thy head from thy posterior. Somebody didn't like it, big whoop. Their personal opinion in no way denigrates your personal opinion.

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"A billion robot lives are about to be extinguished! Oh, the Jedis are going to feel this one..."
-Hubert Farnsworth (Futurama: Crimes of the Hot)
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"The Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one!"
-Shran (ENT: Proving Ground)

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