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B5 Movies Box Set opinions? (1 Viewer)

Joseph DeMartino

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Save your money. JMS has already said that the Rangers pilot will be given a separate release. The Crusade set will just contain the 13 completed episodes.

All this B5 talk got me restarted on the series. I've almost finished S1 (next up is "A Voice in the Wilderness Part 1".) But I took time out to check out the TV movies. TG and ItB I've seen recently enough that I went straight to the commentaries, both of which I found interesting. Then I jumped to The River of Souls. (OK, there's something about Capt. Lochley in that teddy. :))

I remember being disappointed by this one when it first aired, and either not watching it at all when its been on since or coming in partway through and leaving it on more as background noise than anything else. I've always rated it very poorly (which seems to be the common judgment) and haven't given it much thought since. Last night is the first time since its premiere (which, come to think of it, I saw on a 23" TV in hotel outside St. Louis) that I really sat down and watched it.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The movie is better paced than I remembered, Martin Sheen's performance far less mannered and annoying than I recalled, and the humor much more effective. I actually enjoyed it. I liked it even better the second time through (tonight) with the commentary track and the closed captioning on. I'm really looking forward to Thirdspace, which I ranked ahead of TRoS but well behind ItB and A Call to Arms. I'm wondering if it will have similarly improved with age. :)

Regards,

Joe
 

George_W_K

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Good to hear, Joe. I look forward to checking out the three movies I haven't seen yet. I exchanged my set and none of these discs are scratched. I should be good to go.
:)
 

John Swarce

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If I were to watch the series over again, where would the movies fall in the timeline of the series? Obviously, The Gathering would be first and I suppose In the Beginning would have to happen after the 4th season, but what about the rest of the movies?

Just picked this up and, yes, I did get the Circuit City price match at Best Buy (plus Rewards points!:emoji_thumbsup: )

John
 

MatthewLouwrens

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The Lurker's Guide master episode list has the entire episode and movie listed in chronoligcal order, highlighting cases where stories aired out of order.

So In the Beginning is first (despite the s4 spoilers)

Next is The Gathering.

Thirdspace is set in s4, between The Illusion of Truth and Atonement.

River of Souls and Legend of the Rangers are set in s5, in the gap between Objects at Rest and Sleeping In Light.

A Call To Arms is listed under its own spin-off section, but I assume it's set in that gap as well - but, having not seen past s3 of B5, I wouldn't know, so if someone else could confirm that, it would be good.
 

David Williams

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B5 Universe Timeline:

In the Beginning starts things off first (it deals with the events of the Earth Minbari war among other things), then the Gathering. Thirdspace is situated between episodes 8 and 9 of S4 ("The Illusion of Truth" & "Atonement"). River of Souls takes place after episode 21 of S5, "Objects at Rest", and A Call to Arms, the Crusade spinoff and the Legend of the Rangers follow it and "Sleeping in Light" (ep 5.22) wraps everything up. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Ric Easton

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Yeah, but don't watch "In the Beginning" until after season 4! Too many spoilers are given away.

Theoretically, "ItB" could be watched last. Since the whole thing is framed around an aged Londo telling the story to children via flashback!

Ric
 

Joseph DeMartino

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BTW, here's what JMS had to say re: the Rangers pilot:

From: [email protected] (Jms at B5)
Subject: Re: attn. JMS: Update?
To: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Date: 11/30/2003 4:11:00 PM

> What a weekend! Does all movies include B5LR by the way?

Not in the big set, no... that will be a separate DVD since it's really not a part of what comprised the original B5 movies.

jms
 
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I really like the movie set, and it is totally worth the price.

It might be my imagination here, but this transfer of "The Gathering" to me seemed a LOT better than the original DVD release of it. I am thinking of watching the two back to back (some scenes specifically) to see for sure, but for some reason it seemed a lot more clear and crisp. Maybe its just my mind playing tricks though. :)

The commentaries are great. I have ALWAYS been a big fan of JMS's commentaries as he brings some great insight to the episodes he does and there are some funny stories to how things happen.

I also really liked the cast commentary on "Thirdspace" for reasons stated above. In Season 1 and Season 2, I wasn't very fond of the cast commentaries. I think Jerry Doyle and Claudia Christian...while being very fun and entertaining people...really made the commentaries overly silly. It was actually annoying to watch and listen to them. The later season cast commentaries were much better, and the one in Thirdspace was great. I really like how Bruce Boxleitner has taken the time to actually WATCH all of the series and he is truly a fan of the show as much as he is a star in it. He really does try to bring some good insight and talking intelligently about what is going on in the show...some of the others do as well. I think thats one quality he has where other shows don't. The cast has no idea what they did, it was just another job. Bruce and a few of the others really are proud of what they did and are fans of their own show. They cant talk enough good things about it, which I find very unique. It wasn't just another "project" for them and it comes through in the commentaries.

So overall I am very pleased with the set design, the DVDs themselves, as well as the commentaries. I think the 5.1 versions of ItB and The Gathering are great. I am really pleased with the set and am glad my B5 collection is complete. :)
 
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To some of the comments about when to watch "In the Begining" there are a few options I guess. Some say not to watch it until after Season 4 due to spoilers...I agree thats valid for new viewers, but for those of us who have seen the series all the way through, after Season 4 isn't really a valid option with respect as to when it really truly falls in the timeline.

Some say to go ahead and watch it first...before The Gathering...because that is when the Earth/Minbari War takes place. I agree with this to a point, I think it is a natural fit. The only part you are sacrificing is Londo telling the story...which brings us to option 2.

After "Objects at Rest," after "River of Souls," and after "A Call to Arms" but before "Sleeping in Light"

That puts the movie in the correct framework for Londo telling his story. As you may know that storytelling part takes place about 1-2 years before "Sleeping in Light." Since the story is told from that POV I think that is where it should be viewed.

I can also say personally that I find something very satisfying about seeing how things began...right before seeing the dramatic and emotional end. I think ItB is probably the most emotional of the movies. The last 15 minutes are incredible. Watching this movie right before the series finale gives you a feeling of just how far everything has come.

So for my money, not only does it fit well with the timeframe of Londo telling the story, but I like how it brings everything full circle for me right before the end. :)
 

Joseph DeMartino

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But all of B5 is a story told in flashback. Just what do you think the time-frame of Londo's opening narration for The Gathering is? :)

"I was there at the dawn of the Third Age... It was the last of the Babylon Stations. This is its story..."

He certainly didn't know anything about any "third age" or that B5 would be the last of the Babylon stations in 2257 when the movie is set.

The show was constantly looking into the future and back from that perspective, in "B squared", "War Without End", the opening credits for S4 ("...it was the year everything changed" - obviously a comment made long enough after the year was over for the speaker to have some perspective on it.)

The voice we heat at the start of The Gathering is also the voice of the aged Emperor Londo, looking back on his life. We just don't know it yet.

Regards,

Joe
 

John Swarce

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Thanks to all with your opinions! I should have been clearer in my previous reply, but I have watched the whole series (Finally! Missed the last 2 1/2 years because of my local PTEN station changing broadcast days and times). I really enjoyed ITB and The Gathering on the old flipper disc. It was hard waiting to see ITB until after I had purchased and watched Season 4. I have decided to rewatch the series and thought I could incorporate the movies into it.

Joe, I will follow your suggestion on the order of watching the movies. Thank you. BTW, in all the B5 posts, you always give so much great insight and background info on the series. Were you involved in the series production or just a REALLY big fan? :D

John
 

Rob T

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I picked it up today from the post office. I'll be watching throughout this coming week. :)
 

Joseph DeMartino

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REALLY big fan who has endured periods of unemployment over the years, and therefore had spells where he had way too much time on his hands. ;)

Regards,

Joe
 

Rob T

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I watched In The Beginning tonight and the audio seems to have been fixed up. No more audio distortion when the Grey Council ship brings Lenonn on board for me. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Will_C

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I'd like to join John and say how much I've appreciated Joseph's posts in all B5 threads over the past few years. You've really kept us up on what's going on in the B5 universe, so much so that I stopped going to Lurker's Guide and came here for the latest news. Also, the link you posted in a past thread to a rundown on how TNT damaged B5 was quite informative. Thanks, you rock man! :D By the way, notice you live on the coast there. Do any diving?
 

David Williams

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I definitely have to second Will's comments on Joe. He's been the de facto choice for B5 news on this board and I know I appreciate hearing all those juicy news bits. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

nolesrule

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Joe D. Has been doing this all over the place. I remember hanging with him on the SciFi.com Babylon 5 and Rangers message boards (he might remember me as "nolesrule") and he's been on the rastb5m news group for as far back as I can remember.

The Lurker's Guide isn't really a source for news, but it's the best resource for analyzing the episodes and series as a whole. It really should be published in book format (if comment/analysis copyrights from the many contributors over the years weren't an issue). There are just too many pages to print out myself.

One of the best sources for news is jmsnews.com because that has all of JMS' communications archived going as far back as 1991. And all his new posts are added regularly.
 

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