Babylon 5 vs. Firefly...the life and times

POSTED BY: SchoolboysWink
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 14:37
VIEWED: 11228
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IMNOTHERE

Saturday, August 25, 2007 5:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by capercaillie:

For Babylon5, the theme of season 5, Severed Dreams, and Voices of Authority have great music. I find myself humming the tunes over and over.

I can't think of any other TV series for which so many "complete scores" for whole episodes were released on CD...

However, if you don't already have them I'd strongly recommend the two compilation CDs:

http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-Messages-Earth-Compilation-TV/dp/B000002
VV0/ref=sr_1_3/102-1992124-9913724?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1188062656&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-Compilation-TV-Christopher-Franke/dp/B00
0002VUZ/ref=pd_sim_m_1/102-1992124-9913724?ie=UTF8&qid=1188062656&sr=1-3

...you'd expect extracts from a TV series score to be pretty fragmentary, but Franke has done a great job of re-arranging/remixing the material into substantial 10-15 minute pieces. (On the "messages" CD these are interspersed with the various versions of the theme - but not full season 5 theme I'm afraid, although there are hints).

PIRATECAT

Wednesday, September 5, 2007 1:46 AM

B-5 was good then Stargate and finally bang Firefly. But why do the dvds suck. The cgi was new then but I have lines, cracks, and pops on the screen. Where did they keep the original films next to a microwave. My favorite was the russian dyke. Lovable Londo and J'kar what a pair.

"Battle of Serenity, Mal. Besides Zoe here, how many-" "I'm talkin at you! How many men in your platoon came out of their alive".

IMNOTHERE

Thursday, September 6, 2007 9:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by PirateCat:
B-5 was good then Stargate and finally bang Firefly. But why do the dvds suck.

I seem to recall that when B5 was being made, 16:9 Widescreen TVs were just appearing, and significant chunks of B5 were shot and edited in 16:9, even though the final "master" and a lot of the post-production was 4:3.

(I bet some bright spark decided "hey, with all those digital effects they're never gonna go back to the original film" and didn't bother to store it properly)

With the DVDs they decided to be brave and remaster at 16:9 - clearly this involved (a) fishing some of the original 16mm film out from the loft and (b) strectching and cropping some of the CGI and effects sequences.

I think, on the whole, I'd rather have the widescreen and put up with the odd scratch. The worst to suffer have been the mixed live action/CGI bits, though.

AMDOBELL

Thursday, September 13, 2007 7:16 PM

I absolutely love both "Babylon 5" AND "Firefly". Why head this thread with "Babylon 5" vs "Firefly"? They are not in opposition to each other, it's rather like what many of the sci fi magazines were doing as "Babylon 5" became more and more popular through the first four seasons stating that "Star Trek" fans and "Babylon 5" fans were diametrically opposed when many fans of both series had affection and respect for each show. I have been going to sci fi conventions for many years and found most genre fans very outgoing, fun and well informed. Most of us carried forward our love of sci fi because we grew up reading science fiction novels and then widened that appetite with tv and film.

As for Imnothere wondering where the B5 tapes were stored, I well remember Joe Straczynski commenting that Warner Brothers had stored the original early tapes of B5 in a damp basement area, so totally ruining parts of the original pilot episode ("The Gathering") that it was recut and spliced together with some different scenes which is why there are two different versions.

"Babylon 5" broke new ground opening the way for other sci fi shows to get on air and find new audiences that would bring about such varied twists within the genre as "Farscape", "LEXX" and the wonderful 'verse of "Firefly" to name but a few. I loved the fact that the characters in B5 were not static charicatures but changed, went through growth and sometimes decline just like real people. Events happened and that shaped them and their destinies. There is much to love in both series but it is the attention to detail in creating memorable characters that lift both to a high benchmark for me.

Many people have made comparrisons between Malcolm Reynolds and Han Solo from "Star Wars", sometimes running down the "Star Wars" films for a whole host of reasons but what does it matter? The original three films were great fun and the awesome music still sets my heart aglow every time I hear that impressive opening theme.

Now, does anybody know whether there will be any original "Firefly" novels? Joss mentioned there would be a couple coming out and then silence. Nothing. Nada. I still have my fingers crossed as more mechandise gradually leaks out into the public domain.

Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me...

WYTCHCROFT

Thursday, September 13, 2007 7:22 PM

just like BSG i see no problem with liking more than one genre piece, fave shows etc.

can i ask -- i was listening to some very good babylon 5 audios today and wondered -
how come the show is in so many formats?? why isn't serenity flying as wide??

has anyone interviewed the babylon 5 makers about
their willingness to expand media formats (dr who does it too).

is there a link to such an interview -?

joss once said he'd do firefly on radio if he had to - maybe we can pressure for some audio cds atleast??

keep flyin':)

BYTEMITE

Monday, July 4, 2011 11:10 PM

Well, I'm assuming the "macho" you're talking about is the much argued libertarian streak in Firefly. Which is to say, everyone will view it differently.

And if you like Hard Sci-Fi or Military Sci-Fi, which my understanding is Babylon 5 is both, then you're going to like it better.

It might also depend on where you're from. I imagine straight western elements like horses, dirty backwoods towns, other primitive technology, fisticuffs, and shootouts are more appealing if you have that as a historical and ancestral cultural touchstone.

But, apart from that. Seeing as how this thread was four years old and most of those who were involved in the discussion aren't around anymore... I think it might be dead.

TRAVELER

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 8:40 PM

Time for some heroics.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

RIONAEIRE

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 11:29 PM

Its okay if you don't like Firefly, people seem to either really enjoy it or dislike it, few are in the middle. But if you don't fancy Firefly then why are you posting on a Firefly fan site? Just asking. Maybe you hope we can change your mind :)?

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

JAMERON4EVA

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 4:52 AM

What your talking about is like comparing BSG to the ORIGINAL BSG. In the original it's typical sci fi, humans on the brink, but, everythings spotless and shiney, and go forbid if the comander got so much as back talked. In the new bsg, you have the FEEL, you FEEL with the characters. THAT'S what Firefly did, it connected with you on EVERY LEVEL, in sted of, "ohhhhhhh let's make everything all shiney, and eye sore-y"

"Mom, he has her chip. He has her."
John Connor,"Born To Run", TSCC EP 2x22

"We mustn't over stimulate young minds. Das ist verboten!" - Rappy

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 2:37 PM

EDIT: Bah, didn't take my own advice.

But suffice to say, I don't think they're coming back. It was a post and run, like lobbing a grenade in a living room. You should only handle that kind of ordinance if you know how to disarm it.

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